The Devil Within
by xthesebonesx
Summary: Damon is caught in the middle when it quickly becomes his duty to protect the innocence of the only thing that he has left. But what happens when he realizes that he's torn between the woman that he knows, and the darkness that has consumed her? *Unfinished*
1. The Devil Within

**The Devil Within**

"I will keep quiet, you won't even know I'm here,

You won't suspect a thing; you won't see me in the mirror,

But I've cut in to your heart, you can't make me disappear, 'til I make you

I made myself at home in the cobwebs and the lights,

I'm learning all your tricks, I can hurt you from inside,

I made myself a promise, you would never see my cry, 'til I make you

... You'll never know I hit you."

-Digital Daggers

_"You saved me," he said, as he stared into the glowing emerald eyes of the woman before him. "I don't know how to thank you for that."_

_There was a long silence as she contemplated the words to say. He knew the words would only remind him of the harsh reality of their situation, and just like clockwork, take him down a few more notches._

_"Don't," she replied simply, as she shifted her focus towards her grimoir, and closed it quickly. "I didn't do it for you-"_

_"You didn't do it for me... right," he interrupted, as he neared her with quiet calculation. "You do it all for Elena. You always have. You'd bleed yourself dry, and sell the very bones from your body, if it meant she'd be out of harms way. Am I correct, love?"_

_She didn't respond, as she let out a deep sigh, and closed her eyes tightly. She began to speak a few foreign words beneath her breath, and Klaus watched on as she became deeply entranced, in just a few moments, by the spell._

_He breathed slowly as he felt the burns all over his body beginning to close up as she continued chanting, until finally, his last wound was healed._

_She didn't know why she did it, to be quite honest. She should have let the bastard heal on his own. But maybe she wasn't as heartless as she liked to believe she could be. Maybe she did care, afterall._

_She'd never come about that part. _

_Without even glancing in his direction, she could already feel the heat radiating off of the hybrid, as his blue eyes burned holes right through her. His thick voice, smooth like velvet, seemed to seep into her pores, chill her bones, and permeate her soul, without any effort at all._

_And that scared her; the fact that this monster had slowly, but surely, gotten to her frightened her much more than she could let on._

_Her feelings were always something that frightened her. Especially right now._

_His feet tapped gently against the wooden floor, as he slowly advanced towards her, and she boldly looked up into the eyes of the man who'd done nothing more than make her life a living hell._

_She breathed smoothly when that familiar smirk took residence across his face, and he only stopped once he was undoubtedly invading her space; engaging her in such a way that she wished he'd be more tentative about._

_He cocked his head softly, and her skin shivered when he placed a steady hand to her chin, and gazed deeply into her eyes._

_"There is a darkness inside of you, love," he said in a voice barely above a whisper, as his fingers traveled slowly over her cheek. "Another incident like this one, and I'm afraid you won't know who you are anymore; you're about a spell away from losing it all."_

_She frowned as she slapped his uncharacteristically warm hand away, and pursed her lips, as she stared at him firmly._

_He seemed to take general amusement in that, as he awaited her verbal assault._

_"You don't know me. You don't know a thing about what I can handle."_

_Klaus held his hands up defensively, as Bonnie continued to eye him heavily, but he moved in closer, somehow, and she had to catch her breath when his face was only inches away from hers, this time._

_"I know very well what you can handle," he whispered, as Bonnie crossed her arms over her chest. "You've been the one who's come close to ending my life so many times. And with that very strength, you were the same one to preserve me, in dear Tyler's body," he added, as he gestured towards the unconcious boy on the ground. "And without failure, you've returned me to my original state; you've done what I believed no one could."_

_Bonnie gulped silently as she watched the coldness in his eyes turn to something else; something like gratitude, as he continued to gaze at the young witch, in silent admiration._

_"I needed to save my friends," she replied sharply, and he sucked his teeth. "There was nothing more to it."_

_"The very friends who don't know a lick about appreciating you? That's very promising, Ms. Bennett, but I do believe you'd reign much more supreme if you stood alone."_

_Bonnie shut her lips tightly, for what he said had seemed like a simple truth, to her, for some time now; her friends were holding her back. Her "friends" were toxic, and the sooner she stopped giving a damn about them, or anyone else, the better._

_Klaus knew the very instant that the words crossed his lips, they'd affected her. Internally, his heart grew, knowing that the young witch was much more easily influenced than she'd like to let on. _

_"I'm sorry," he said softly, and Bonnie's eyes shot up towards him. "I apologize for the way I have handled our relationship, in the past."_

_Bonnie rolled her eyes, and pushed past him, as she headed towards Tyler, and knelt down next to him. She quietly placed two fingers to his neck, to feel his pulse, and spoke without glancing over at Klaus, again._

_"Tyler will be awake, soon. You should go. That's all that I want, right now."_

_Klaus ran his tongue over his teeth, and reluctantly stuffed his hands into his pockets._

_"Are you positive about that?"_

_Bonnie looked up sharply, as the hybrid continued to gaze at her in a way that she wasn't completely sure what it meant. _

_Bonnie scoffed as she shook her head profusely, and stood to her feet._

_She was determined to stand her ground._

_"I don't want your apology," she stated firmly. "I don't need it, either."_

_Klaus smiled gently, Bonnie involuntarily shivered down to her core when suddenly, he was before her, again, and staring at her in that way that absolutely enamored her._

_Klaus easily tucked a strand of her loose brown locks behind her ear, and her face remained stoic, as he leaned in. She felt the breath from his lips travel across her neck, and she inhaled deeply, just as the words that would forever haunt her burned in her brain._

_"I can give you what really you want, sweetheart; there is no doubt about that. All you need to do is ask for it."_

_Bonnie shook her head, as her eyes met his, and her head tilted to the side. She felt uneasy beneath his stare, but she wouldn't let it show. She couldn't; she couldn't let him know that he made her nervous._

_In all the right ways._

_"What is it that I want, Klaus?" she finally asked, and the hybrid bit his lip, as he placed both hands to her shoulders, and his majestic blue eyes connected with hers. "Because I find it absolutely hilarious that you'd think you have any idea-"_

_"You want passion," Klaus interrupted, simply, and she went quiet. "You want... unequivocal, irrevocable, unstoppable passion, Bonnie. And I? Well, I simply just want a challenge. Won't you provide me with one?"_

_Bonnie snorted, as she folded her arms across her frame, to hide the shaking that overtaken her body, just by the sound of his voice._

_A challenge? Klaus wanted her to be his challenge?_

_"In your dreams," she spat, and Klaus smirked, as he looked to the ground briefly, before meeting her forest green eyes, once more._

_His hand rose to meet the nape of her neck, and she inhaled sharply when she felt his lips form against her ear._

_"Or perhaps, darling, in _yours."

Bonnie shot up in bed, letting out a loud gasp, while her hands clutched at her chest, and she trembled unmistakenly.

She began to breathe normally, only when she realized she was safe and sound in her room, as the feeling of her mattress bounced beneath her.

She huffed, as her eyes blinked in the darkness of the pitch black room, and her hands fumbled, as she searched for the switch on her lamp, at her bedside.

Once the room was illuminated, she breathed a sigh of relief; she was alone.

_It had all just been in her head._

Bonnie gulped, as she pushed her comforter aside, and moved her feet; feeling the cold hardwood floor against her toes had become her sanctity.

She exhaled as she got out of bed; clad in a pair of shorts and a tank top, as she walked over towards the full-length mirror, and stopped, as she observed her reflection.

Her eyes were the same; a brownish green, that reminded her of the leaves outside, somedays, and emeralds the next, as they changed color with the weather. Her skin was still vibrant; reminescent of a brilliant cinnamon tone, as her arms, legs, and face continued to glow, even in dim light. Her hair had grown longer and a bit darker, but it was full, as she tied it into a messy bun, and watched a few unruly strands fall to her shoulders.

She still looked the same- she believed she probably always would- though she knew that, on the inside, she wasn't the same.

_She'd never be the same Bonnie Bennett that she was, before._

Bonnie quickly moved away from the mirror; suddenly feeling shaken and depressed, as the thoughts about her reckless past and unsure future passed through her mind.

_She just wanted to stop thinking, at all. She found sanity in not thinking._

She walked out of her bedroom, and down the hallway, towards her kitchen, where she found sanity, too. She sighed as she retrieved a small, clear bottle from the back of the cabinet, and gazed at the contents.

_Almost empty._

Bonnie reached in for an herb, and exhaled as she felt the tiny leaf course against her fingers. Apprehensively, she stuffed it into her mouth, coughing at the raw taste of the supplement, as it seeped against her tongue.

Bonnie sneered as she grabbed a glass, and poured herself a cold cup of water, eagerly awaiting the taste to pass her lips to wash it all down.

As she drank, she busily looked around the decor of her kitchen, eager to take her mind off of her madness.

She began planning design ideas.

She'd been living on her own for about year, but she had never stopped finding things to renovate, in the spacious one bedroom apartment.

_She wanted red curtains. She'd have to get red curtains._

And with that, she found the basic beauty of living by herself.

Sure, there were night terrors, and yeah, paying rent sucked, but this was the place that she called home, now.

_New York City was her home._

Bonnie made her way into the living room, and glanced at the huge clock on the wall, as she heard the faint sound of sirens, taxis, and people, just outside, on the warm spring night.

_How could everything still be so lively at 1 A.M? She wasn't sure she'd ever get used to that, even as most of her Friday and Saturday nights at work required her to be out until 3. She was still a Virginia girl, at heart. Even New York, the City of Dreams itself, couldn't remedy that._

Bonnie plopped down on the couch, and grabbed her remote to flick on the flatscreen, as she curled her knees to her chest, and comfortably sipped her water.

_Maybe there was a Law and Order marathon on. Or maybe even a cooking show? She'd love to learn how make a good salmon spread._

As she flipped through the channels, though, nothing particularly stole her interest, and she groaned when she finally settled on some cheesy eighties movie that probably had an even worse soundtrack.

She glanced at her journal, as it lay openly across the glass coffee table before her, and she impulsively reached forward, and grabbed it.

Bonnie's fingers trembled as she opened the book to the page that her pen had bookmarked for her, and she carefully read the last words she had scribbled across the sheet.

_"I'm stronger than this. I always have been."_

Bonnie coursed her fingers over the letters on the page, and repeated them, mentally, as her own personal mantra.

_She was stronger than this. She always would be._

She'd quite literally been to hell, and back, yet, here she was; still alive, still breathing, and still _living. _Attempting to live anyway.

_She always told herself that _he _was the reason- the reason she hadn't taken her last breath; the reason she felt as though she could survive this, once more._

But thinking about _him, _or any of _them, _saddened her.

The picture of she, Elena, and Caroline in the frame, on her end table made her want to cry, most days, but she promised herself, she never would.

_They would want her to be strong. And so, she would._

So, when there was a random knock on her door, Bonnie felt everything within her stop, as it halted her sudden prowress.

_Who the hell would be visiting her at 1 A.M on a Tuesday night? With no phone call, as her warning?_

She waited a moment, as she continued to gaze at the door, waiting for the visitor to make themselves known, again, if they were even at the right apartment.

They knocked again; this time, a bit more firmly, and she pressed the mute button on the remote, as she tried her best to listen any possible traces of a voice on the opposite side of the door.

_She heard nothing._

Bonnie inhaled and rose to her feet- quickly grabbing her sweater off of the couch, and pulling her head and her arms through it, before nearing the door.

Once in front of it, she tip-toed to take a glance through the peephole, to be sure that she wasn't about to be attacked by some random serial killer of the night.

_Mystic Falls had taught her a lot about precaution._

She dropped to her heels in confusion, though, when she saw nobody within her line of vision, as her eye averted to the empty hallway, outside.

Bonnie breathed, with a slight shrug; must have been the wrong apartment, like she thought.

She began to walk away from the door, when, again, somebody knocked, and this time, fright ran down her bones. She turned around, slowly, as the pounding continued, and she sheepishly placed a hand on the knob, as the visitor continued to knock away, at the door.

Without another thought, she ripped the door open, on impulse, and her heart stopped when she was met with nothing but a bare, empty hallway, again.

She blinked rapidly, as she walked out into the open, and glanced both ways down the corridor, seeing nothing but endless hallway, in sight. Bonnie's stomach and her fingers tightened, as she placed her hands at her sides, and felt pure confusion begin to run through her.

_"Maybe you're just losing it," she thought._

_She'd been losing it for quite some time, she realized._

Bonnie sighed, as she shook her head, her arms, and rolled her neck. She shut her eyes, and ran her fingers through her hair, soothingly.

She'd been having these moments; these times of temporary insanity, where she believed something to be happening, after it had never occurred at all.

What was triggering it? What was making her feel so crazy, and nostalgic, all at once, after all of this time?

_It should have stopped. The nightmares should have been over._

Bonnie quickly shut her door, and stomped back over, towards the couch, where she shivered uncontrollably with emotion, as she opened her journal, and shakily grabbed the pen.

Bonnie felt her heart, pounding out of her chest, as she quickly jotted down her throats.

She'd read somewhere, that writing everything down helped, when it came to insomnia.

_"It's happening, again."_

Too bad for Bonnie Bennett, she was far beyond the advice of some stupid magazine article.

_She was way beyond it all._

* * *

"I feel like I'm spilling out of this top," Bonnie heard, as she stared off, at her thumbs, as they tapped against the granite counter. "Are you even listening?"

Bonnie jumped out of her thoughts and spun around to glance at the beautiful brunette before her, who was busily adjusting her black halter top, before finally giving up, with a shrug.

"Laila, you look fine," Bonnie reassured as she leaned against the countertop. "Plus, I'm sure _those,_" she pointed to the girl's chest, "Will get you plenty of tips, tonight," Bonnie joked, and Laila rolled her olive eyes playfully.

Bonnie glanced at the girl before her, and she couldn't help but be overcome with admiration as she took in just how beautiful she was.

With her long dark hair, piercing eyes, and mahogany skin, Laila Shah truly was the definition of an exotic beauty. Tall, slender, and hypnotic in her movements, Bonnie sometimes wondered what the two had in common, besides their love for Channing Tatum, and their unusual obsession with vintage boutiques, and cupcake shops.

Laila had become her right had woman, in New York, as the 19 year old Manhattan native showed her the ropes, and got her a job in her bar, shortly after meeting her on campus at a Student Activist meeting.

Laila was beautiful, and though the girl's interest in her baffled her, she was thankful for it. She was thankful to have a friend.

"Jeez, I hope they're enough," Laila huffed. "Mama needs a new pair of Louboutins."

Bonnie laughed at that quietly, and glanced at the clock on the wall, as she finally pushed herself off of the counter. It was about 8 P.M and predictably, the Thursday night rush would begin in about a half hour, or so.

Bonnie grabbed a couple of beer glasses, and began cleaning them. Laila offered a helping hand, as she hosed down the things in the sink, as they stood in companionable silence before Bonnie finally spoke.

"I think your Dad's head is going to explode, one of these days. Remember that time he threatened to throw away any heel that was higher than 2 inches at Christmas Dinner?" Bonnie questioned, and Laila rolled her eyes, as she continued washing.

"Ugh, of course I do, he's out of his mind... Don't get me started," Laila said in an exasperated tone. "My logic? I'm a fucking genius, therefore, I should be able wear whatever I want. Especially if I pay for it."

"Maybe you can meet a peace treaty? You ace Organic Chem, he leaves you alone for a month."

Laila scoffed at the suggestion.

"My straight-A's need to be _triple _A's, before he decides to acknowledge my intelligence. I'll be lucky if he doesn't ship me away to India to stay with relatives, on my next holiday- because need to learn 'proper work ethic,'" the girl stated. "I work in a bar, in New York City; I'd say I work pretty hard."

Bonnie pouted. Laila was a hard-working girl; probably the hardest she knew. But her Dad could never seem to give her a break, anyway. Laila's parental issues slightly reminded her of her life back in Mystic Falls where they _all _had family problems. A bit more serious than Laila's, but still. Bonnie could relate.

"What about your Dad? Is he half as annoying as mine is?" Laila asked, and Bonnie turned away. "Or your friends, back home? Or, anyone back home? You... never talk about them, or yourself, ever. I'm starting to think you don't _really _consider me your bestie, Bon."

Bonnie gulped before she cleared her throat, and shrugged her shoulders.

What was there to say, really? Her homelife was pathetic, and her friend situation was even worse. Her dad was absent, her mother was undead, and her Grandmother was actually _dead. _She hadn't spoken to her so-called "friends," since she moved to New York, and her ex-boyfriends? Well, Jeremy was a cheater, and to be honest, she hadn't truly dated, since. Everything was a bit stagnant for her.

There was also the fact that she was completely supernatural, and Laila knew _nothing _about her world, besides the fact that there had been a Mystic Grill in it, and that had been the _only _bar Bonnie knew for eighteen years.

She felt bad being so secretive- being so silent. But she figured it was for the best; better yet, she _knew _it was.

_Laila had no idea of the atrocities that truly existed in this world. And she had no idea of the monster Bonnie could really be. She was better off being left in the dark._

"I told you, a million times, Lai- there's nothing to say," Bonnie replied plainly, as the girl crossed her arms. "I grew up in a boring town, with boring people, and that's why I'm here; I needed something new."

_She needed something new- well, that wasn't a lie,at least._

"But there weren't any guys worth talking about?" Laila pressed. "Or girls? Girls- I'm not judging, you know-"

"I'm into guys," Bonnie said firmly, and Laila smiled mischeviously.

By that look, Bonnie knew she had just given the girl an idea, and she regretted it wholeheartedly.

"Okay, so prove it. Next guy who walks in- give him your number. I dare you."

Bonnie blinked in disbelief at the girl, before she finally shook her head and folded her arms across her pretty, flowing shirt that Laila made her spend way too much money on in Saks 5th Ave.

"I need to prove that I'm _straight?_"

"No, you need to prove that you're not an asexual amoeba," Laila stated, and Bonnie's mouth dropped. "Because you haven't so much as glanced at anyone, the entire time I've known you, and seriously- I'm concerned. How can I really know _you, _if I don't know how terrible your taste in men is? I mean, Channing Tatum, fine, but let's just... see how you do with a regular guy," Laila persuaded, and Bonnie licked her teeth.

"You really are bored, aren't you?"

"_Extremely,_" Laila said anxiously, and she scoffed. "And... I'm looking out for you, believe it or not. I promised I'd do that, wouldn't I?"

"This is looking out for me? Forcing me to give some random my number, in hopes that he doesn't stalk me, dismember my body, and dump it in Central Park?" Bonnie asked and Laila rolled her eyes, and batted her long black lashes.

"Or... he could be really good in bed. Don't be so morbid. Live a little!"

Bonnie gazed into Laila's honestly sympathetic eyes, and she sighed.

This was Laila keeping her promise to brighten up Bonnie's life, and bring her a little excitement. This was Laila looking out.

_This was Bonnie finally accepting the fact that she needed her, and her help, whether she wanted to admit it or not. This was Bonnie giving in._

"Fine," Bonnie sighed, as she threw her hands up, before placing them on her hips. "Next guy who walks into this bar... my number is his for the taking," Bonnie stated, and Laila smiled as though she'd just won an award, and clapped her hands happily. "But I swear, Laila, he'd better be hot. And not too full of himself... and not over the age of thirty. That's my limit," Bonnie warned.

Mystic Falls had also taught her about standards. Apparently dating you best friend's younger brother was below them. Even worse, it was just plain embarrassing when he cheated on you with a ghost. Even more ridiculous? Rebounding with the guy who was your quasi-adoptive brother, thanks to your own mother deciding to raise him, instead of you. Nevermind all the other guys who used her, just for their convinience.

Bonnie's love life was in shambles. So, it was no surprise to her that things were about to get even more interesting.

She felt a bit looming danger suddenly come over her as Laila winked, and nodded, in the subtlest of way. Bonnie instantly felt the presence of a man standing on the other side of the counter, right behind her.

_Had fate really answered her so quickly?_

"Not bad, Bennett. You're seriously gonna thank me later," the girl grinned, before gracefully sliding away, and Bonnie prepared herself for Laila's version of "not bad," as she bit the bullet, and turned around to meet the eyes of her potential suitor.

She nearly choked when those very blue, and all-too-familiar _ocean eyes _crashed against her so hard, she was sure she'd truly drowned.

"Hot, not too full of myself, and under the age of thirty... One out three isn't so bad. Right, Judgey?" he smirked.

Bonnie felt all of the air in her lungs escape her as his eyes glimmered, so obviously sizing her up from behind the bar, in the always obvious way that he did, before he took a seat on the stool, and folded his hands.

_This was Laila ruining everything._

His dark hair was perfectly messy, just the way she remembered it, and as per tradition, he was clad in a black leather jacket, that only seemed to highlight his smooth, pale skin, even more.

He continued to stare at her; cockiness seeping from his expression, before she scoffed and struggled to speak, as she tried to find the words that she wanted to say.

"Damon," she almost gasped, and he waved his hands, in faux shock. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Whoa, Bonnie," he immediately shot back, as the witch glared at him angrily, and he cocked his head softly. "Is that any way to speak to your good ol' pal? Why can't you just be like _the normal girls _who worship me, and then fetch me something to drink? Or, someone-"

"Damon-"

"Bourbon's fine, Witchy," he stated, as he tapped his fingers on the counter, and she growled in frustration, as he only seemed to be smiling, continuously.

It'd been a year, and this was still the dynamic between she and Damon. It seemed not everything had to change.

"You look..." Damon trailed off, as his eyes raked up and down her body, before he let out a long whistle. "_Smokin'._"

"You need to leave," Bonnie replied beneath her breath, and his jaw dropped. "I-I can't do this, right now," she said firmly, and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Don't be dramatic," he said, as he stood to his feet, and reached his down and over the bar, to retrieve his own bottle, and a glass. "I've seen you at your worst, remember? I kinda think you owe me, for that. Who says I'm not here to collect?"

Bonnie inhaled, but she didn't say a word, as she watched Damon make his own drink, and place the bottle back onto the counter. He took a long sip, and she felt her fingers tremble when he glanced into her eyes, afterwards, with no sign of budging, whatsoever.

_He was Damon; of course he wasn't budging-he 'd do this all night, if he had to._

When Damon gulped down the rest of his drink, Bonnie stood there, stoic- paralyzed, even-as she glanced into the eyes of the man that represented the past that she was so desperate to get away from.

Damon represented something in her life that she had never wanted to be. He represented her lowest point, to date. He'd seen her at her weakest, and consequently, saved her life, just when she'd slowly begun to lose it all.

_But that didn't mean that she wanted to thank him, or even acknowledge him, for that. She didn't want anything to do with what had happened to her, a year ago. She just wanted to forget._

_And he just wouldn't let her._

"Can I get you another drink?" Bonnie heard, and she snapped out of her daze, as Laila stood next to her brightly; staring at Damon like he was some sort of celebrity, or something.

Her friend had normally done an excellent job at being discreet when a good-looking man was in her presence, but obviously, not this time.

Laila was practically falling in love, just by standing there. Damon Salvatore just seemed to have that effect on people, and Bonnie hated every minute of it.

"How'd _you _know I was thirsty?" Damon flirted, and Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"Because by my observations, Bonnie's left you hanging," the brunette continued, as she sent her a scolding glance. "Maker's Mark, on the rocks?" Laila asked, and Damon smirked sweetly.

"Yes, please. Thank you, darling. You see, Bonnie and I are old friends, from back home. And it's kind of a little game between us to see who can the ruder of the two, each time we reunite," Damon said, and Laila's eyes widened.

Bonnie almost smacked her palm against her forehead.

"Wait, what? Y-You know him, Bonnie? That's great, I've been dying to meet one of your friends from back home," Laila said in awe, and Damon winked. "Laila- Laila Shah," the girl said, as she extended her hand, and Damon took it gently into his own, before he kissed the top.

He was laying it on so thickly, right now. Bonnie was ready to backhand him, honestly.

"Damon Salvatore," he said, and Bonnie felt herself fuming, as Laila was positively swooning.

"Damon, you should probably go," Bonnie repeated, and Laila scoffed as she turned to her friend. "I mean it."

"I finally meet someone from your life, and you're kicking him out?" Laila nearly shrieked, and Damon nodded, in faux sadness. "At least let him have another drink. He came all the way here to see you!"

"Yeah, Bonnie," Damon added, as he blinked his pretty blue eyes. "Where are your manners?"

Bonnie snorted, as she tightened her fists at her sides, and continued to stare at him, as her rage slowly grew. Without another moment of hesitation, she grabbed the bottle of Maker's Mark out of Laila's hand, and sent Damon a stone cold stare.

He was taunting her; he should have known better, at this point.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Damon. Allow me," she apologized, in a fake tone, as she grabbed an empty glass, scooped a bit of ice, and poured the drink.

Bonnie held it out towards Damon, as he smiled in satisfaction. His expression soon grew dire, when she quickly doused him in the face with the alcohol; garnering a few shocked expressions from those in the bar who saw it happen.

Laila gasped, as Bonnie slammed the empty glass, hard on the counter, and threw her hands up, in defeat.

"It's safe to say I quit, right?"

Damon watched as Bonnie stormed off into the back, with Laila automatically beginning to follow her, but he grabbed her arm swiftly, and stopped her.

As soon as her eyes met his, he did what he always knew best.

_"Leave this up to me, Laila. Continue serving the bar."_

Laila nodded mindlessly, and before she knew it, Damon disappeared, as the bar began to fill up, within moments flat.

_She didn't have much time to wonder what the hell had just happened._

* * *

"Bonnie," Damon called, as he jogged to catch up with the girl, and she groaned, as she put down her hand to flag a taxi, and turned in the opposite direction to walk off.

Damon continued in hot pursuit, as her boots clicked against the sidewalk, and he shoved his way through masses of people to easily catch up to her, within seconds.

"Judgey," he started, and she didn't look at him. "You poured whiskey all over me, and it sucks. I'd say you made your point, now," Damon stated impatiently, and Bonnie suddenly whipped around to face him; anger stricken all over her face, as her green eyes glowed viciously.

"Have I, Damon? Have I made my point, yet? Because you can't seem to take a hint," she said harshly, as she stopped in her tracks, and stared him deeply in the eyes. "Why are you here? _No one _should be here," she said, and he rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"You make it sound like this is the first time you've said that to me," he spat, and Bonnie automatically grew quiet. "You've said that before, right? And you were wrong... right?"

Bonnie averted his eyes, as she looked down at the ground, and Damon seemed to move in closer, as she refused to look at him.

_He always had this way of invading her personal space, in more ways than one._

"Why are you here?" she repeated, as a signal of her promise not to budge.

Damon slowly cracked his knuckles, and looked all around at his surroundings, before finally gazing at her, once more.

_She looked the same- perhaps a bit more beautiful, but nevertheless, the same. But he knew that she wasn't the girl he'd grown to know, anymore; she never would be._

"Look, if you need a spell, I'm the wrong witch to ask," she said, as she continued to look away. "I-I don't use my magic anymore. I've stopped completely-"

"I didn't come here for a spell," Damon interrupted. "I... actually made the concious decision to... check up on you. For some really stupid reason, I just... I needed to know you were okay. Is that ridiculous enough for you, Bennett? That I... still care, after all of this time, about you, of all people?"

Bonnie's eyes shot up to meet his, and she waited for a trace of joking behind his eyes, but there was none. The genuine look of concern on Damon's face was one she'd wished she could frame, and hang up on the wall, in her apartment.

He shifted uncomfortably, and Bonnie felt an itch in her throat as she folded her hands tighter across her body, and he never tore his eyes away from hers.

It was so much to handle. Maybe a bit too much.

"I'm fine," she said sharply, as Damon eyed her carefully. "Absolutely fine. Couldn't be better- I live here, in New York. Away from everything," she said strongly, and Damon moved in again; this time, so close, she felt the cool breath from his lips dancing along her skin. "What more could I ask for?"

Damon shrugged, as her smooth his damp hair back, and stuffed his hands into his pockets. The alcohol was drying quickly on the warm spring night, but the potent smell of liquor only beme stronger as it stained against his clothes.

Quite honestly? She was surprised he didn't vamp out, and attack her on sight for drenching him.

It truly was a testament to how much Damon had changed.

"I don't know, Bennett," he drawled, as their eyes continued to move in sync. "What else would you need?"

Bonnie quickly felt shy again, but she gathered her composure, as she tried to erase from her mind the fact that Damon Salvatore came all the way to New York to check up on _her. _

She tried desperately to distance herself from thoughts of the past, as she quickly ran through the saga that had been _them, _while it skipped through her mind, relentlessly.

What happened between them was something she'd never thought possible, and no matter how many times she urged herself to remove it from her memory, she couldn't. It angered her- embarrassed her, too- when she forced herself to remember just how psychotic she had been. It surprised her even more when _Damon _turned out to be the one to save her.

She never really thanked him for that. Her pride didn't know how.

As Bonnie gazed in his eyes, she slipped faster, and deeper, into her head, as bits and pieces of the struggle between the two began to haunt her.

It was like picking at an old wound, all over again.

_"Why can't you just let me die, Damon? Huh? Why are you doing this?" Bonnie asked, angrily, as the vampire held her body over his shoulder and carried her into the cell in the Salvatore basement, quickly shutting the heavy door behind them. "Let go of me!"_

_Damon struggled, while he continued to hold onto the tiny frame of the witch, as she desperately tried to break free of his authority, and exit the room that he had so graciously brought her into._

_Setting her down may have been her biggest mistake, because while the kicking, biting, and clawing at his skin stopped, the struggle to overpower him didn't._

_He was stronger though, as she attempted to pummel straight through him, causing Damon to expertly dodge a couple of shots to the face. He remained calm and quiet; a feat Bonnie had never seen, as she was damn near torturing him with her rabid behavior, right now._

_He remained silent, all throughout, and she wasn't sure why._

_Bonnie growled in frustration as she watched him nod at Stefan in absolution, before the Younger Salvatore placed latch on the lock, and disappeared from sight, as the other remained before her._

_Bonnie held a palm forward to administer an aneurysm, and Damon remained still, as her power never materialized._

_"What did you do to me?" she asked through her teeth, with pure rage in her eyes._

_She stalked up to him bravely, and grabbed his neck with all the force she had left, pressing her fingers tightly across his veins._

_Damon immediately stopped her by the wrist, and Bonnie winced in pain, as he twisted her arm, and easily pushed her away from him. _

_He wanted to help her- he really did. But he was gooing to lose his shit in two minutes if she didn't calm the fuck down. Damon was well-aware that he told Stefan he could handle this; he could take care of the witch who had presumably gone insane, from one too many dark spells, as his brother continued the plight to protect the doppelganger, and the town of Mystic Falls._

_Stefan was better at being the hero, anyway. And Damon? Well, he was just better at playing the Bad Cop, and that was exactly what Bonnie needed right now. She needed someone to set her straight. And as the only person who felt he was even capable of being close to her level of bravado, Damon stepped up to the plate._

_Damon was going to save the witch._

_He was quickly knocked out of his thoughts, though, when he felt a firm hand slap him across the face, and the sting of Bonnie's hit radiated throughout his bones._

_Damon inhaled a deep sigh to keep his composure, and he noticed a gentle smirk on Bonnie's face as he felt his anger slowly climbing._

_"Oh, did I upset you?" she asked in a slick tone, that reminded him all too much of Katherine Pierce. "Do something, about it, Damon. I dare you."_

_Damon cocked his head to crack his neck, as Bonnie was the one to move in closer, this time._

_The evil in eyes had turned to pure enjoyment, as she ran a slow finger down his cheek, and let out a saucy laugh, before gazing into his eyes._

_He honestly didn't recognize the woman standing before him, at all._

_She'd gone from reserved, moralistic, calm, and collected, to a taunting, teasing, loose canon._

_He was used to crazy- he liked crazy- but he didn't like this. He didn't like an unfamiliar Bonnie Bennett. She was supposed to be the rock; she was supposed to hate him, but tolerate him long enough to be his partner in crime, and save the world, like only they knew how._

_Without that, he had nothing. Elena didn't love him, Stefan was back on the rails, and Alaric was dead. Without Bonnie, he was left without a damn thing._

_And he wouldn't dare settle for that._

_Damon captured Bonnie's hand slowly, and the intrigue in her eyes grew, the moment he pulled her in closer, and quickly turned her around, to press her back against his chest._

_Bonnie gasped at the transition, but smirked, all the while. _

_This Bonnie would play along; This Bonnie always did._

_His palm ran smoothly up the side of her waist, and his lips nipped at her ear, while his fingers found her chest._

_She'd been trying, from the very moment her darkness took over, to seduce him, and it almost worked, a few times. But when he remembered who she was- who she truly had been- he stopped himself._

_She was still Bonnie; just not right now. But godwillingly, she would be, soon, because the psychotic bitch she had turned into just wasn't his cup of tea._

_No matter how hot she looked in that black leather jacket, and dark leather jeans._

_"Taking me up on my offer?" she asked smoothly, and Damon laughed easily, as he lowered his voice._

_"Oh, c'mon Judgey- you know better than to dare me," he said, with a wink. "I have done something, and a little birdy tells me that you're not gonna like it," he said with a faux pout._

_Bonnie immediately turned to face him- the rage filtering back into her eyes, as a smile developed across his face._

_"Damon-"_

_"Congratulations! Your witchy juju powers have been been sedated. Better thank your mother, Abby, for the herbs," Damon said, as she stared at him maniacally._

_Sure enough, her magic was gone, as she attempted to start a fire right before him, and there wasn't even so much as a spark._

_"Why are you doing this?" she asked, and Damon's eyes coursed over the body of the young witch, stopping at the areas where her clothes were ripped, and her skin had been donned with scrapes and bruises. "Why?" she screamed, as she pushed him against a hard wall, and breathed unsteadily at his expression._

_Her normally long, dark hair, was wild at her shoulders, and her usually pretty green eyes were firm, but lost, as she stared at him with strong hurt in her gaze._

_He'd never seen Bonnie like this._

_"Because I'm saving you!" Damon finally yelled, as he stalked right back up to her, and she shook uncontrollably. "I'm saving your life, Bennett, because for some weird reason, I think you deserve that. Is that so hard to get?"_

_Bonnie remained silent as she realized the tear in his shirt, and the blood running along his arms, as he never dropped his eyes from hers. She suddenly felt nauseous when she recollected the ways in which she him sent him across the ground, sliced through his skin, and dropped him to his knees, all with her powers. _

_She'd done this to him, and here he was, to save her. What had she done to deserve that?_

_"It's hopeless," she said, as she wiped her forehead with her palm. "I'm gone," she said darkly. "The Bonnie Bennett you know is gone. And it's for the best."_

_Damon blinked, as he inhaled a long deep breath, and Bonnie felt his reluctant hand cup her cheek softly. She shut her eyes, and for a second, she felt normal, as the feeling of disarray slowly evaporated and all she could feel was him, as his touch became firmer._

_"You know it's true," she stated, and he remained quiet. "If you can't fix me, you'll kill me. I know how this works."_

_Damon sighed, and his head felt as though it'd explode from sudden shift in her personality, again. She had gone from rageful, to spiteful, to lustful, to melancholy in a matter of minutes, and he didn't understand it._

_The dark magic had really done a number on her psyche, and he only hoped they could fix it, before she faced the same fate that Alaric Saltzman did._

_"I don't believe that, Witchy," Damon said, as he broke the silence, in a voice barely above a whisper. "And I might be an idiot for that but... I don't believe that you're gone."_

_Bonnie reopened her eyes, to glance into his once more. Her expression remained hard, though the feelings inside of her wanted to soften- wanted to believe him._

_But she couldn't; she just didn't believe that she'd be okay, ever again. _

_She was a monster; she'd truly become one, in every sense of the word._

_"You'll die trying to fix me, Damon," she said, as her eyes met his, and stared into them strongly. "You're never going to win. You never do. When will you learn that you're just a failure? You always will be," she said bluntly, as the shift happened once more; spiteful Bonnie, that time._

_Damon shrugged, and Bonnie feel his uneasiness radiating off of him, as they remain locked in gaze that only faltered when she felt a sharp pain in her arm, and a slow wave of tiredness seeping over her, as the seconds passed._

_She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't, as slow paralysis began to take over, causing her veins to stiffen up._

_Bonnie watched as Damon placed the needle he jabbed her with back into his pocket, and she slowly dropped to her knees before him; bouncing in and out of conciousness, while her vision blurred._

_"Failure isn't an option, Bonnie," he said in a soft tone, as her eyes blinked heavily. "Not for me, and especially not for you."_

_Her body fell to the ground, unconcious, as he stood over her._

_It was the last she remembered of that night._

Bonnie glanced at Damon, and she shook her head quickly.

She didn't want this; she didn't need to relive this.

"I don't need anything, Damon," she said gently. "We...We agreed to this, okay? You weren't supposed to look for me; none of you were. I just wanted to be alone."

"I didn't 'agree' to anything, Bennett. Especially not _that, _and you know it. You just _left- _and you sure as hell didn't have my blessing," he noted. Bonnie remained silent, for a moment, as Damon stared at her with desperate eyes. "Is this really how it's going to be between us, Bonnie? After... everything?" he asked in a small tone.

She was hurting him, but he didn't want to show it. He'd shown it way too many times, before.

Bonnie looked beyond Damon, and she captured a mental image of the place all around her.

The neon lights, the skyscrapers, everything; it had all given her the strength to move on from the life she'd always known to the life that she was now sentenced to.

She'd left Mystic Falls and everyone in it, including Damon, for a reason, and she had no intentions of returning to the way things could have been.

_She couldn't, even if she wanted to. She was finally okay, or something like it. He was going to ruin everything._

_He was going to ruin her._

"I'm sorry," Bonnie said softly, and Damon's brows furrowed, as he watched her flag a cab, once more; this time successfully. "I-think you should go back. I'm... better off alone."

Damon didn't bother to respond, as Bonnie opened the car to get in; entering the cab graciously, as he stood there blankly.

"Damon," she started, and held up a hand to stop her speech.

Honestly, he didn't need to hear it. He'd come all the way there, because despite his best efforts to let her go, he hadn't. He hadn't dropped the witch who knew him better than anybody else, and challenged him more ways than one. He hadn't dropped the witch who could make him double think his actions with just a few simple words.

_He hadn't dropped the witch who saved his life when he didn't deserve saving. But she dropped him; she always let go first._

"It seems you've got it all figured out, Judgey. You've got everything planned, and perfect, just like you always have... Let's just hope, for your sake, it works out."

Bonnie remained silent, and contemplated the words that passed his lips.

Things were far from "figured out," or "planned and perfect," for her. But she'd convinced herself she would be okay. Self-persuasion came at a very high cost, but she'd pay it.

_She'd pay anything to be normal, again._

"Goodnight, Damon... Take care of yourself," she said with finality, and without another word, she watched the vampire walk away from her.

_It felt like it was the very last time he'd walk away, and she was okay with that._

Bonnie slammed the door to the yellow cab behind her, and gazed out of the window, mindlessly, she traveled through the city-catching glimpses of all the happy people who had found a way to survive here.

She wanted to be one of those "happy people;" she desperately needed to be, for without happiness, she really didn't believe that she had anything else.

She'd find a way to survive, too. She was positive about that.

_But without Damon, she just wasn't sure for how long._

**A/N**:** Hello everyone! So as promised, I began a new Bamon fic after copping out on Somebody That I Used to Know, and this was chapter one. Im really apologetic about ending that fic, since I know a lot of you enjoyed it, but I didn't like the direction I was heading in. So, I was more comfortable with ending it, rather than ruining it. Now, as you can already see, this fic is going to be a bit more intense and much darker, as I work through relations with Bonnie and Klaus, Bonnie and Damon, and why our favorite girl seems to have lost her mind. Any guesses on what took place in Bonnie's past, that caused her to leave Mystic Falls? And why is Damon so concerned? And what's with the dreams (or nightmares) about Klaus? All will be answered, soon enough, but I'd love to hear your theories. :) I plan on taking Bonnie to some true extremes in this fic; ones that I think her character needs to face, but apparently won't, on the show, and I'm really excited about it. As always, reviews aren't a must, but theyre well appreciated! I love the way you all think :) So until next time? ;) xoxo**


	2. Echo

**Echo**

_"How does__ it feel to always be second best?" Bonnie asked bluntly, as she sat up on the cement ground,__ and looked in Damon's eyes. "How does it feel to be nobody's first choice?"_

_Damon gulped but he remained silent as he looked over at the witch tiredly, in hopes that this was just one of her routine talkative moments, and she'd shut up when she got bored of antagonizing him._

_But it wasn't just a drill and he knew it, as she climbed to her feet, and neared him silently._

_They'd been in the Salvatore basement for days, with no real interaction from anyone else, but each other. Stefan dropped by occasionally to leave blood, food, or alcohol, but that was it. He didn't like seeing Bonnie like this any more than Damon did, so he kept his distance._

_He had much more to worry about, anyway._

_Damon's method to stopping Bonnie seemed to be working slowly, but surely. With her powers still paralyzed, she seemed much more tame, though she was rudely mouthing off to him, sometimes._

_She stopped fighting him, but that didn't mean she stopped insulting him, as she looked for continuous ways to belittle him, and take constant jabs at his already pathetic self-confidence._

_She longer tried to physically break him, but she wanted to, mentally. She wanted him to lose it; she wanted him to fall apart._

_And it was the cruelest of punishments he believed he'd ever endured._

_Damon looked up, again, and Bonnie was right before him; tapping her foot impatiently, though he saw a hint of amusement behind her electrifying green eyes. She was challenging him, and just like clockwork, he was accepting._

_He always accepted._

_Damon stood to his feet, and Bonnie grinned when she looked up at him. Damon's messy dark hair and pale blue eyes had always been his trick to getting any woman that he desired. _

_But why couldn't he keep them? Why was he so incapable of keeping anything?_

_"It must hurt," she said flatly, as her eyes never once dropped from his. "It probably really sucks to realize that everyone chooses Stefan, and they never choose you," Bonnie said coldly, and Damon remained silent as she spoke. "Katherine, Elena, and even Rebekah and Caroline- they all chose him, first. You were just... the back-up; the rebound. The one that they all settled with. It's a shame, isn't it?"_

_Damon cracked his knuckles, and inhaled deeply, as he expertly controlled the fury that was raging inside of his head. _

_He also held back the emotion that threatened to pour from his soul, as he balled his fists tightly, and finally averted his eyes back to hers._

_Two could play that game._

_"I don't know, Bonnie, you tell me," he began, and the witch cocked her head as he moved in closely, and lowered the tone of his voice. "Every guy who's ever been in your life has used you. Ben, to help Anna, Luka, to help his father, and even little Jeremy Gilbert; he used you to save him from every mess he got himself into. And his form of repayment? He cheated on you. With a ghost. Looks like you know a thing or two about being second best, as well."_

_Bonnie didn't reply, as her jaw ticked, and Damon never stopped gazing at her._

_Evil Bonnie had a big ego; one that he needed to successfully break through in order to get to her. So, as much as he hated this- saying these things that were unneccessarily hurtful- he had to. He had to hit hard and dig deep- he had to tear her apart, in hopes of bringing her back, again._

_"He never told you that he loved you... did he?" Damon continued, and Bonnie remained silent, though she stared at him intently. "After everything that you did to save him- to save Elena- he just... he broke your heart. And you let him, because you loved him. Bonnie Bennett cared about someone more than they cared about her. Color me shocked."_

_Bonnie remained still, but he watched as he saw a bit of something crumbling behind her eyes. She was hurting; he could just sense it. And he felt like an asshole; a real tool, honestly, preying upon her emotions, and deliberately hitting her hard, and where it hurt the most._

_But it was all a part of the plan- the plan to break through Bonnie's dark exterior, and find her light, again. Deep down, she was still here-she was still the girl he once knew, and he prayed with each insult, he was getting closer to that. _

_She'd gotten into this mess because of her magic; because of her need to help people-especially Elena-and her repayment was far from pretty. _

_Her road to recovery would be even worse. _

_"I was too good for Jeremy," she said boldly, as she backed away from the vampire, and resumed her powerful stance. "But you weren't- you weren't better than Katherine, Elena, Rebekah, or Caroline; they were all too good for you. And you got what you deserved, Damon; a broken heart. You always get what you deserve."_

_Damon tapped his fingers against his thigh, contemplatively, before he pushed him off of the wall, and neared her, in determined calculation._

_He watched as Bonnie folded her arms over her chest, but he didn't halt with her hesitation; he walked right back up to her, unafraid. He stood directly before her; he looked deeply into her eyes._

_"Maybe so," Damon said, and she stood quiet as he bit his lip, while searched her face, once more. "Maybe they were too good for me; and maybe you were too good for Jeremy, but... we both ended up alone, anyway, Judgey. We both got pushed into the same exact boat, with the same bitter ending, and it sucks, either way. So, maybe we're more alike than we thought. Maybe... we're both just always destined to get hurt."_

_Bonnie scoffed as she shook her head, and planted her hands on her hips._

_"I'm done getting hurt," she stated firmly. "I'm never going to be hurt again."_

_Damon pursed his lips, and moved in closer, as she inhaled deeply. He boldly placed a hand on her cheek, and he felt his stomach turn, as he looked into her eyes; feeling the very reflection of someone who he considered to be much like himself- Bonnie at her worst was somehow a mirror image of him._

_And he couldn't stand it._

_She was better than this- she was better than being like him._

_His thumb stroked her cheek, and the girl remained still, with vicious eyes that he couldn't help but equate to his own, once upon a time. _

_He needed to speak to her as though he were speaking to himself; and that terrified him. It always terrified him to tell himself the truth, because while it was always what he needed to know, it was nothing that he ever wanted to hear._

_And Bonnie shouldn't have had to hear any of this._

_"You can try," he softly, and Bonnie remained plain-faced, as his thumb moved across her jaw, and his eyes penetrated her own. "But you'll probably always be second best. It's all you'll ever be good for."_

_Damon watched as she blinked silently, and he immediately felt nauseous, as the words replayed over and over in his head; the words that were meant to break her, but were taking a toll on him, instead._

_"You'll always be second best, Damon," he repeated in his head. "It's all you'll ever be good for."_

Damon stared straight up at the ceiling as he lay down in bed, replaying the painful memories of his words, while the morning sunshine cascaded into his hotel room.

_He would always be second best. And in saying it to Bonnie, he was only truly admitting it to himself._

His tactics to help her; they had been crazy, at best, as they successfully wore down not only to the witch's core, but his own, as well. When he took on the task of helping Bonnie, it was much more than he bargained for.

But when he had this random idea to come see her, in New York? Well, that was just stupidity.

She had moved on with her life, and he was foolish to believe that they were, at all, in the same boat, because Bonnie made it clear that she wasn't. She wasn't still that lost, broken soul that he watched shatter into a billion pieces, over the course of that month.

She was brave and renewed, as she dared to put her past behind her and start a new life; one that didn't involve her previous pain, and one that didn't include him, most importantly.

He wished he could say the same for himself; he wished he could just move on.

Damon sat up in bed, and scratched his hair tiredly, yawning as he glanced at the clock.

It was 9:30 A.M, and the time to checkout was approaching quickly. He could have compelled more time, but he didn't want it. He didn't want to be in New York, ever again.

He hopped out of bed, and made his way to the bathroom; all he wanted was a nice, hot shower, and a mouth full of fresh blood.

But in the name of keeping a low profile, he'd have to settle for one of the stupid bags he packed, instead. He'd get to breakfast after his shower.

As Damon turned on the faucet, and dipped himself beneath the showerhead, he breathed in the feeling of the steam enclosing on his lungs, and seemingly melting his trouble away.

With his eyes shut, and his pulse steady, he soaked what was the last of one of his only moments where he truly felt at ease. He lathered the soap over his skin, and tried his best to push out the memories that flared up so frequently in his mind.

He just wanted to push everything aside; he just wanted to _be._

When the shower ended, he stepped out, feeling a bit more relaxed, as he wrapped the towel around his waist and headed back into the bedroom, where his cell phone was blinking with a brand new missed message.

Damon slicked his wet hair back, and took the phone into his hand to read the text message on his screen that he had been waiting for all morning.

_Any luck?_

He scoffed to himself, and began typing furiously, as he breathed deeply, and shook his head.

_If you call a glass full of whisky to the face successful, then, yes- it went great. She was thrilled to see me._

Damon waited only a moment before the phone buzzed again, and he glanced at the words displayed before his eyes.

_I'm sorry, Damon. I know how much this meant to you._

Damon bit his lip before answering.

_But you told me so; and as always, you were right, Stefan... I'll be on the next flight back to Virginia. See you at the airport._

His phone buzzed quickly in return.

_I'll be waiting._

Damon sighed at his brother's last words, and placed the phone back on the dresser. His baby brother had been right in his warnings about him going to see a once very volatile Bonnie Bennett, and he should have listened.

Stefan equated Bonnie's dark past to his Ripperdom, and the more Damon looked at it, the more it made sense.

The Younger Salvatore warned him that she would be angry, and unreceptive, upon first sight of him. He told him that she was probably going to lash out, and then walk away.

_He told him that Bonnie had the right to be alone, if she believed it was for the greater good of everyone around her, and Damon needed to respect that if he respected her._

And he did; Damon had loads of respect for Bonnie, as he thought about all that she had been through to keep everyone safe, once upon a time, before she flew off the handle.

But respecting her right to ostracize herself? Damon didn't listen to that, because he had a real problem when it came to staying away, and letting people live with their own choices.

Whether he liked it or not, he was drawn to her; both sides of her, and something inside of him screamed anytime he tried to escape her.

He couldn't; he just couldn't leave the Little Bennett Witch alone.

And he never knew why.

It was like some unexplainable force, he felt, whenever he was around her. And whether they were feuding or not, he needed to keep her within his reach.

_He needed her to be close enough to be his anchor._

As for her decision to leave? He thought it was bullshit, honestly, and he'd hoped that he could be the one to change her mind about coming back home.

But he couldn't; because he was a failure, just as she had claimed him to be. He always failed; and he never won. It would forever be his curse.

Damon suddenly felt agitated, and it didn't help that there was an immediate knock on the door, disturbing the silence that he so desperately needed, to wallow in his own self-pity.

Also, didn't he put that up stupid "Do Not Disturb" sign on his door, last night? Didn't they know how to read in this fancy hotel? He sure as hell was paying them enough to buy the entire _Hooked on Phonics _franchise, ten times over.

Damon sighed in annoyance; he was going to ignore it, and they were going to go away.

But when they knocked again, and again, and again, he was sure his fangs were itching to shoot out. He decided the best course in his anger management was to politely answer the door, and tell whoever was disturbing him to kindly _fuck off._

Yes. He was going to do that.

Damon rolled his eyes as he walked over to it, wanting to beat the living hell out of whoever was on the otherside as they sang "Room Service" in the jolliest tone he'd ever heard.

"No thanks!" he answered, but the girl continued knocking away.

"Yes, please!" she replied, and he shook his head in disbelief.

She was kidding, right?

Damon ripped the door open, ready to flip out accordingly, but the person standing before was someone very familiar, as her bright smile coursed through his bones, and he sucked his teeth when her eyes met his.

"Laila," he said firmly, and she shrugged, as she moved past him, in her bright red Casadei platform pumps, paired with a pretty, flowing dress, and her hair in long waves.

_Was this girl always on the catwalk, or something?_

"I didn't know you were room service, as well, what a _pleasant _surprise-"

"Shut up," she shot back, and his mouth dropped. "I look _way _too good to be room service," Laila answered, and she smiled purely. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, gee, I was sleeping. Then showering. Then probably gonna get dressed, because, you know, this _is _my hotel room. What the hell are you doing here? Fifth Avenue is a few blocks over; I heard Barneys is having a sale," he teased, and she nodded admirably.

"I know, just went. I got these," she wiggled her foot, and he rolled his eyes. "I also got this," she said, as she pulled out a small plastic card, and placed it directly into his hand.

He looked down at the name embossed on the American Express card, and narrowed his eyes.

It was his own.

"You left that at the bar, last night. Don't worry, I didn't buy myself shoes with your money," she reassured, and he sighed. "I did get myself breakfast, though; figured I'd pay myself for the trouble."

Damon sent her a glance as he pinched the bridge of his nose, and glared deeply into her eyes.

"Okay, fine, help yourself Laila... But why are you here? Better yet, how? You traced me by my credit card? That's all new levels of creepster."

"Yeah," she said honestly, as she sat down on his couch, and folded her hands. "Would you believe that you're the only Damon Salvatore in the entire city, right now? It wasn't that hard to find you. I'm friends with just about every person at the front desk of every fancy hotel- it's pretty easy to get what you want when you know people."

Damon laughed incredulously, as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"You New Yorkers sure stick together," he replied, and she smirked. "But what if I was shabby? What if I didn't pick a nice joint to stay at?"

Laila scoffed, and rolled her eyes.

"You have a Black Card, I'm not an idiot," she countered, and he winked. "So, in the name of not treating me like one, let's cut to the chase; who the hell are you, and what's the deal between you and Bonnie?"

Damon felt his jaw tick as he looked into her curious eyes, and stroked his chin. This girl didn't waste any time; she cut right to the chase.

"Excuse me?"

"Did I stutter?" she asked bluntly, as she cocked her head, and he didn't answer. "What's your deal? Why do you have my best friend so bent out of shape?"

Damon remained quiet for a second, as he continued to look at the girl, in obvious amusement. She was bold, feisty, and bossy. No wonder they were such good friends.

She may have been a little intense, but Damon at least appreciated her honesty.

Plus, he always gave crazy girls a pass if they were hot.

"So, she didn't tell you about me?" he asked simply, and Laila held a palm up calmly.

"No offense, but she avoids talking about _anyone _from her past- or even Virginia, in general- like you all have the plague. I was starting to think she was the lone survivor from some apocalyptic village, where you all perished terribly, and she narrowly escaped by the skin of her teeth."

Damon laughed at the seriousness in her gaze, as he rose a brow.

This girl was like Neurotic Crazy Crackhead Caroline, on acid. But he regrettably had a soft spot for Barbie Vampire, and her insane words, and apparently Bonnie still did, too, if her new best friend seemed a bit like her, in this very moment.

Maybe all wasn't lost.

"It wasn't that bad, I promise," he answered, as he sat down on his bed, and scratched his hair. "She just... doesn't want anything to do with me. Crazy, I know," he replied, and Laila frowned as she leaned against her hands, and studied him quietly.

There was a long, passive silence in the room before she said another word, and knocked him out of his thoughts.

"Did you two date?" she asked, and he laughed bitterly, as he folded his hands.

"No," he replied honestly. "I didn't 'date' her, per se. She was... kind of occupied. With somebody else."

"Somebody else... So, you wanted to?"

"It's a lot more complicated than that, Laila. And if she wants to tell you, fine. But... this really doesn't matter anymore," he said, as he got off of his bed, and headed into the bathroom to get changed.

When he came back out, much to his dismay, she was still there, and still in deep thought as she looked up at him, with very serious eyes.

"Something's wrong, Damon," she said simply, and he adjusted his black tee before kneeling down to his suitcase, and throwing in his belongings.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean something is up with her, and I can't figure it out. I-I think you should talk to her, again."

Damon laughed in disbelief as he zipped the case closed, and stood to his feet.

"No can do, Laila. She hates me, and I have a flight to catch. Why would I stay here?"

"Because you want to," she said softly, as she stood to her feet, and walked towards him. "Because... I can tell that you didn't come all the way here just to be defeated," Laila said, and Damon looked down to the ground. "Listen, I don't know what happened between you and Bonnie, but I do know this- she wouldn't have been the way she was last night if there was just 'nothing' between you two. It's the most emotion I've ever seen out of her, and I've known her for a year. Something's not okay, and... I think she needs something familiar to figure it out."

Damon rolled his tongue over his teeth, and looked away, as Laila's eyes burned through him. He didn't want to do this; he didn't want to care about somebody who didn't care about him. He didn't want to drive himself crazy, again, trying to fix her, when she could turn her back on him, just like that, all over again.

"I'm not the right guy for this job, Laila-"

"You're the only guy," she informed, and he shut his lips tightly. "And I think that you know it, too."

Damon stuffed his hands into his pocket, as Laila walked over to his end table, and retrieved the blank memo pad, and a pen. She began scribbling something down, and he sighed when she pressed it hard against his chest, with an unapologetic stare.

He grabbed the pad, and looked down at the words and numbers written so legibly across the sheet.

"That's the address, phone number, and reservation to the restaurant you're taking her out to, tonight. Wear something nice," she informed, and his eyes widened. "And underneath is my credit card number; just in case this all fails. The least I can do is buy you a new plane ticket home."

Damon glanced at the sheet silently, as Laila slung her bag over her shoulder, and he shook his head slowly.

What the hell was this girl thinking? He was going to take Bonnie on a quasi-date, after she'd just told him, last night, to get lost? Did she want him to get a martini thrown in his face, too?

He looked up into Laila's pleading eyes, and he felt defeated. Just by the look on her face, he could tell that she really was just worried about her friend. For some odd reason, she was putting all her faith in some random guy from Bonnie's apocalyptic town, who was stupid enough to leave his credit card at a bar he'd been in for all of five minutes, before getting chased away with whisky like it was Holy Water.

_Laila must have been dreaming if she thought he could fix this. New York was the City of Dreams, after all, he supposed._

"You have your credit card number memorized?" he finally asked, as she neared the door, and Laila smiled as she placed her hands on her hips and shrugged.

"How do you think I bought these shoes, earlier?"

"Touché."

Laila had a hopeful, but nervous, smile on her face as she gazed at him, and Damon automatically knew she was one of the good ones; she was one of the ones you could really trust.

"Good luck, Damon. And thank you."

She shut the door behind her, and he exhaled before he made his way back over to his cell phone, and picked it up, once more, to update Stefan about his whereabouts.

His baby brother was not going to like this.

_Change of plans, _he typed, _Looks like I'm staying in New York another night._

* * *

"Laila, this is ridiculous," Bonnie said, as she tugged at the blue nylon lace dress that clung perfectly to her body, while she pressed her cell phone to her ear.

The floral knee high dress was beautiful, but she felt uncomfortable in it, obviously, as she garnered more than a few looks of appreciation as she walked the streets of New York City. It was one of Laila's favorites, and she was doing her best not to ruin it, as she tried not to trip in the high, nude strappy sandals around her feet. She was probably going to fail.

"What the hell am I doing here?" she whispered into the reciever.

"You're doing me a favor," Laila replied, as she began painting her toe nails with a hot fuschia shade that she picked up earlier that day. "I don't feel like going on that blind date my mom set me up on, and since I so graciously got _you _your job back, after you tossed alcohol on a customer, I figured you could take my place."

"It was Damon, he doesn't count," Bonnie bit, as she walked through the gates of the beautiful outdoor restaurant, and gave the hostess the reservation title under Laila's name. "Why didn't you just tell your mom you got sick or something?" she asked, as she followed the hostess across the granite court to her seat.

The stone hedges, the candles, the four string quartet playing in the middle of it all; there was no denying this place was nice. But this just wasn't Bonnie's scene, at all.

"Because I never get sick, she'd know," Laila answered, and Bonnie sighed. "Why are you so worried, anyway? You look hot."

Bonnie groaned at that, as she busily ran her fingers through her longs waves, and sat down stubbornly at the table that put her in direct view of the bar.

Thank God for that.

Laila must not have been lying, because she was seriously getting gawked at by every dude in this joint, as they sent her unapologetic smiles, and even bolder looks of praise.

She still hadn't gotten used to this feeling, to be quite honest.

In Mystic Falls she'd been virtually ignored by the entire male population, until she had that unfortunate _situation _where the other side of her took over. But she didn't count that- because it wasn't really _her _attracting all of that attention, at all; it was something darker.

But now that she was in a new town, and normal, mostly, the attention seemed to multiply, as the men, and sometimes women, in this place made her feel as though she was one of the most beautiful creatures to walk the planet.

New York was magical, like that.

New York made her feel like one of the girls she never was in high school. She'd never admit it, but New York made her feel alive.

"He's late," Bonnie announced, as she looked at her watch, and gazed at her freshly manicured fingers that Laila persuaded her into doing. "Five minutes, and I'm gone. I'm serious."

Laila laughed at that.

"He'll be there; it's not like he has any other plans. He doesn't know anybody else. This'll be good for you- you haven't been on a date since... ever."

"Don't remind me," Bonnie replied, as she went to take a sip of water, but she immediately stopped.

Her eyes caught sight of him, and she nearly choked on the contents of her glass as their gaze connected, and he sent her that signature smirk and wave that almost put her in a coma.

What. The. Hell.

"Laila... please tell me you didn't do this," Bonnie whispered, and the girl gasped on the other line, in faux shock.

She clearly did this, and Bonnie was going to kill her.

"Actually... I did. You need to face your past, Bonnie, and until you do, I don't wanna hear anything else."

"But, Laila-"

"Bye, enjoy!" the girl replied, before Bonnie heard a dial tone, and she narrowed her eyes as he continued to walk towards her, never stopping or slowing in his stride.

Damon was dressed in all black suit, with a blue satin tie that seemed to match her dress perfectly, and she hated it. His eyes were perfectly illuminated, and his dark hair was no longer its usual messy, but smoothed back, in such a classy and dashing way.

He was so annoyingly handsome.

"Mr. Salvatore, your table," the hostess announced happily, and he smiled sweetly before she walked away, and he turned to face Bonnie.

She was not amused.

The girl stood to her feet, immediately, and he rose his hands to stop her; she gazed into his eyes coldly.

"Bonnie, give me a chance. You owe me that. And a new shirt, from last night," he replied smoothly, and Bonnie felt her anger swelling in her bones, as he pulled out her chair, once more. "Have a seat."

Without any words, Bonnie sat down, and Damon made his way to the seat across from her, as she looked into his eyes.

Just what the hell was he doing, exactly? She was convinced he was out of his fucking mind.

The waiter came over, and Damon ordered a bottle of wine as she folded her arms over her chest, and tapped her foot impatiently. He caught a few glances of her, as he ordered, and he couldn't help but relish in the feeling in his chest as he watched the light from the fresh sunset channeling down on her.

She looked perfect; and he was doing his best to keep his jaw from hitting the floor.

"Who's idea was it?" she asked sharply, once the waiter walked away, and Damon cleared his throat, and folded his hands.

"Blame Laila for this one," he said. "She's a very sneaky girl, Bon. You taught her well-"

"Why did you need to see me, again?" she cut in. "After everything I said last night, I thought I made myself clear-"

"You did, Bennett. Crystal clear," he interrupted, and Bonnie bit her lip. "But I've come to make _myself _clear; I'm here to tell you where _I _stand. So, feel free to listen, why don't you?"

Bonnie watched on as Damon sat up straighter, and she immediately felt the aura of his authority buzzing in his veins. He had something important to say, and whether she liked it or not, she was going to hear it. She was going to listen to just what was on his mind, exactly.

Damon's blunt emotion and even rawer thoughts scared her; this honestly scared her.

"I didn't come all the way here to ask for your permission- to see if it was 'okay'- to check in on you. I did it because I wanted to."

"Great, Damon. You did something because 'you wanted to;' what else is new?" she snapped back.

"And because it was right, Bonnie. Whether you like it or not, somebody had to do it. I voted for myself."

"When did you become such a saint? Because last I checked, you were anything, but," she said flatly, and Damon shut his lips tightly, as she sighed. "I- You see, this is why I can't handle whatever this is, Damon. I'm getting really nasty with you, and I shouldn't be."

Damon didn't respond.

Bonnie tapped her foot anxiously, and crossed her arms.

She regretted a lot of things that happened when her dark magic began to take over, but the one thing she regretted above all was the way things happened with Damon.

He was genuinely the only person to not turn their back on her when she lost it, yet, she manipulated him the most.

Damon, however, clearly wasn't game for a repeat of last night, as he shrugged his shoulders, and clapped his hands together with finality.

He'd had enough already.

"You're right," he said, as he stood to his feet, and Bonnie watched him reach into his pocket for his wallet, before he placed a bill on the table. "I'm no saint, Bonnie, and you've done nothing but remind me of that; remind of why I was never the right person to be there for you."

Bonnie breathed smoothly, and she tried to supress the wave of nauseousness that ran through her as Damon stuffed his hands in his pockets, and began to walk away.

She watched on silently, before she impulsively jumped to her feet, and quickly followed behind him.

Whether she had the strength to admit it or not, Damon was right; he was here because he was making it clear that he cared about her- all of her. And of all the people that she had left behind, Damon was the one to come back for her.

_He was always the one to come back._

Whether the distance was across town, or across country, he'd travel it, for her. He would do anything for her, including find a way to keep her alive, at all costs. And until this day, he was still trying to figure out why.

Maybe it was because, like him, she never wanted this life; she never wanted the responsibility or the trouble, but they were both thrown into the whirlwind- they were both made out to be heroes, and do good.

But he wasn't a hero, and she was no longer good.

They were just two broken souls, in search of themselves, but failing miserably just when they thought they hit salvation.

To anybody else, Bonnie Bennett and Damon Salvatore were probably just "two lost causes." Two people who had gotten their hearts broken too many times. Two people who would always feel inferior, second-guessed, and underestimated. Two people who could never fully convey how they truly felt, for fear that they'd be seen as weak, or fragile.

They were similar enough to relate, but different enough to hate each other; things would have been much easier if they just hated each other.

They were two people who understood each other completely, but also, not at all.

"Damon," she breathed as she stopped him by the shoulder, once they hit the sidewalk, but he pulled away.

"If you're following me to tell me how pissed off you are that I helped Laila, save your breath. I don't need a lecture tonight-"

"I came to say I was sorry," she replied, catching him by surprise, and Damon automatically went mute, as he stopped in his tracks to face her.

Damon remained focused as he looked into her eyes, and Bonnie, surprisingly, never turned away, as the intensity grew, and they simultaneously drowned out the sounds of everything that was going on around them.

Including the people that told them to get the hell out of the way.

The last time she looked into his eyes so directly, so _fearlessly, _was the night he told her she would always be second best, because so was he.

She honestly hadn't looked him in the eyes, since then, and he didn't blame her. The things he said were horrible, even if they were just his way of breaking through.

_But it wasn't like she hadn't gotten her revenge with her words, too. _

"I'm sorry about last night; hell, Damon, I'm sorry about last _year,_" she said honestly, and his brows furrowed. "If... you wanna go somewhere, and talk, I... I won't say no, this time."

Damon stared at her stubbornly, and she quickly realized that her apology wasn't going to be a cure-all, with him. His had never been with her, so why would he treat her any differently?

"But what if I do?" he asked angrily, and Bonnie swallowed hard. "What if I finally get sick of this shit, and I say no? What if I hop back on a plane to Virginia, and I never see you, ever again?"

"Then I'd regret not thanking you for what you did for me," she said calmly, and Damon immediately seemed to soften. "I'd... also regret not saying that I was sorry for hurting you. And... I'd also be kinda bummed that I didn't get to show you the city."

Damon blinked quietly, and he watched as Bonnie tried to force a hopeful smile, but tears emerged from her eyes instead. He saw a single stream float down her cheek, and she wiped it away quickly, as she shook her head.

Bonnie Bennett always had to be brave, and she always had to be strong.

But the moments that regretfully struck his heart were the ones when she was just a girl; just an ordinary, broken, young girl.

"I'm sorry that I shut you out, Damon. I-I did it because I don't like to be weak. I... couldn't find it in myself to thank you because I was just overwhelmed. It's why I had to leave Mystic Falls- I couldn't handle the pressure to be the same ol' Bonnie that everybody knew before, when I knew that I changed. What happened to me... it changed me, so much. So just... give me a chance to soak this in- to accept the fact that you're here, okay?"

Damon ran his hands through his hair, and they began to walk, in silence, as the cool night breeze floated between them. She shivered involuntarily at the air.

Damon took off his suit jacket, and silently placed it over her shoulders. Bonnie breathed and sent him a look of appreciation.

He could be a real asshole, sometimes, but Damon always had his moments when he could be a gentlemen, too. This was one of those moments.

"Why New York?" he asked, after a long silence, as they stood at the corner of the street, and waited for the walk signal. "This place... it's a lot different than Mystic Falls."

"I know," she sighed, as her green eyes twinkled. "I... needed different, Damon. This place, it just... I feel like a number, sometimes, and I actually like it. I like not being at the center of everyone's worries. I like not being at the core of everyone's solutions, too."

Damon nodded at that, as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Fair enough," he noted as they crossed the street, and she wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "But what about your little slumber parties with Warrior Princess and Barbie Vampire? You don't miss those, at all?"

Bonnie smiled faintly, and he saw the hint of something reminiscent in her eyes, as she hugged his jacket around her tighter. She shrugged.

"People grow apart," she said simply. "And sometimes it's the people you thought you knew best. I've grown to accept it."

"You got that right," he agreed, as they stopped and Damon looked at her gently. Her eyes were cloudy, and full of pain as she looked back at him. "But... sometimes, people grow together, too. The people we least expect are usually the ones to stick around."

Bonnie wiped the rim of her eye with her finger, and he didn't blink at all, as he looked at her.

Giving an actual damn about Bonnie Bennett had been complicated.

When he first met her, she was the girl who was bold, but still a little naive about what she could do, and what she was capable of. As she grew, however, she became stronger, tougher, harder, and more independent- proving to him, and everyone, that she could always hold her own.

Hell, she could hold everyone, and still survive.

But then, something happened, and it slowly changed her into a person who became angry, sad, detached, and bitter, as life continued to wear down on her.

She virtually had no family. She had no love. She had no mentor. She barely had any friends.

But she had her magic; and with that, she solemnly swore to protect what she thought was right; against the advice of the witches, and the sense of herself.

_She stopped Jeremy's heart and dessicated Klaus. She found a way to save Klaus by switching he and Tyler's bodies. And ultimately, she turned Elena back into a human._

_She stopped Elena from transitioning. And from there, she began to spiral out of control._

Damon personally believed that the spell to turn Elena back into a human was what did her in; the spell to save Elena tore away at Bonnie's psyche, and ultimately drove her insane.

_It was no wonder that she changed; that she became cold, dark, calculating, and ruthless. It was no wonder to him, at all, that Bonnie went after Elena the first chance she got, and nearly tore her throat out, in an effort to murder her, in cold-blood._

The New Bonnie meant business. And the New Bonnie hated Elena. The New Bonnie wanted the source of the problems in Mystic Falls to die. And she would have gotten her way if Damon didn't stop her.

_He was the only one who seemed to understand why. He understood it all._

This girl had been through a lot, and he couldn't exactly blame her for reacting the way that she did. She'd quite literally lost her mind, trying to keep her friends safe, and she was only paid with a bout of insanity, in return.

They'd been enemies, once upon a time; Damon couldn't stand the witch, and she couldn't give a fuck about him, either, but somehow, things changed.

He became a little more caring; she became a little more sympathetic. He wanted to help her, just like she had helped him, many times before.

He owed her that. He owed Bonnie much more than a simple glance, and a walk away.

Bonnie looked up at the place they stopped in front, and she breathed gently when the illuminated sign warmed her soul in more ways than one.

They were at a _Shake Shack._

"How'd you know I like this place?" she asked, with a gentle sniff, and Damon shrugged softly, as he rose his brows.

"Everyone likes this place," he said, with assurance. "Especially girls like you who aren't into hotshot, fancy restaurants- girls who come from towns where the only bar is also the only food joint, too. Girls from Mystic Falls like burgers and shakes," he reasoned.

"So, you're saying I'm simple," she answered, and Damon scoffed lightly at that.

"I'm saying that you like burgers, and shakes. And possibly the company of an overgrown vampire who just wants to catch up with with a chick who used to witchy migraine him, and everybody else, like it was nobody's business. I'm... saying that you look kind of nice, maybe, and those shoes shouldn't go to waste."

Bonnie pursed her lips, but she felt a small smile creep on her lips, as his ocean eyes looked into hers, with a certain familiarity that she had missed for an entire year.

How did she go all this time without anybody who truly knew her for who she was?

"Kind of nice, maybe?... That's... promising," she answered, as he opened the door, with a smirk.

He wasn't sure when it happened, but the comfort between he and Bonnie was back, and the banter, as well. No, things weren't magically better, but he was willing to see how they went, from here. She missed him, whether she wanted to admit it or not, and he regretfully missed her, too.

They meant much more to each other than they'd ever let on.

As Bonnie glanced up at the menu, and he softly listened to her debating between the peanut butter flavored shake, or the caramel.

If somebody asked him why he was so invested in this girl's happiness, Damon would probably flip them off and tell them to go to hell, because seriously, he had no honest answer.

He was a murderous being, with ill-intentions, most of the time, so what the fuck did he give about some college girl, who'd gone loopy, because she'd done a few risky things?

_Everything. He gave everything, because in some weird way, he wanted to save her, because she reminded him of himself._

And it was as simple as that; there was nothing more or nothing less to it.

So, as she ordered her food, and he did as well, just for appearance's sakes, he hoped for one thing, and one thing, only: he hoped to keep it that way- he hoped to keep it about saving Bonnie Bennett.

_Something told him, though, that he was in for much more than he bargained for._

A/N: Hi, everyone! So I am back with a new chapter, and what did you all think? I tried to show a bit of the flashback with some of dark!Bonnie, and how Damon coped. What do you think about the parallels he drew between them? And Laila, did she do the right thing going to him for help? Also, what about Bonnie's actions in the past, and her (seemingly) making up with Damon? What else is their to her story, or who? And do you really think the darkness is gone for good? As always, thank you SO MUCH for reading. The response has been great, im so thankful you all see potential in this work. Dont be afraid to drop a review with your thoughts/predictions on the way out! It's my birthday, so I compel you all to do so ;) xoxo :)


	3. The One That Got Away

**The One That Got Away**

_"What the hell is happening to me?" Bonnie asked angrily, as she glared the blue-eyed man in the face, and he scrunched his brows in confusion._

_"I'm sorry, love, but I don't know a deal of what you're going on about," Klaus replied, as a fuming Bonnie Bennett stood with her arms crossed, in his doorway. "But if you'd like me to help you figure something out-" he began, only to be pushed roughly out of the way, as she walked into his house, and he cocked his head in surprise._

_"...Please, help yourself," Klaus added dryly, as Bonnie gazed at him lividly, with glowing green eyes._

_The last time he saw her was at the Old Witch House, when she put his spirit back into his own body. He attempted to lure her with the idea of a hopeful tryst between the two, just because it was so obvious Caroline didn't give a shit about his life now that Tyler was back, and Bonnie had always been his idea of a "worthy challenge."_

_Even during the days that he was interested in the "Vampire Barbie," he kept Bonnie on his radar, simply because he knew her type; strong but vulnerable, helpful but unappreciated, beautiful but self-concious._

_He knew how easy it could be to get into her head, but he also knew it'd be hard work, as well._

_Was she really here, so quickly, to give in to his advances?_

_His guess was "no," as she sent a strong hand across his cheek, and the sound of the slap echoed throughout the hallway, successfully breaking the stifling silence._

_Klaus' eyes flashed to yellow, but he kept his composure._

_This little Witch Bitch saved his life, afterall, and the least he could do was not rip her to fucking shreds, just because his face stung, a little._

_And to be honest? She could probably rip him to shreds, first._

_"What's happening to me?" she asked again, firmly, and he peered into her erratic eyes, before raising both eyebrows, as well as his palms._

_"Come again, Miss Bennett? Besides the fact that you've walked into my home and hit me, I haven't the slightest clue what your problem is. You witches are always so moody," he noted, as he walked off to the living room, and Bonnie regretfully followed him._

_Klaus made his way over to his bar, and before she could object, he poured two glasses of straight Jameson, and offered her one._

_"I don't drink," she said through her teeth, and he rolled his eyes. _

_"And I don't ruin the lives of innocent, unsuspecting people," he said blandly. "Loosen up, why don't you? We're bonding. I don't want to bond with a liar."_

_Bonnie inhaled a deep breath, and rolled her eyes before taking the whisky into her hand. Klaus grinned before settling down on the couch. She remained on her feet. She didn't want to get comfortable. Not around him._

_"So, tell me, love-what's happened to you?" he asked, as he sat back comfortably, and took a long sip, before gazing back at her._

_Bonnie folloowed suit, but almost gagged at the taste of the alcohol, as it burned all the way down._

_Moments later, when it settled, however- it felt okay. _

_She almost felt calm. As calm as she could be in his presence, anyway._

_"You said something, at the Old Witch House," she began, and he interrupted._

_"About you and I? Have you come to your senses, yet?" he smirked, and she rolled her eyes in disgust._

_"Fuck you, Klaus."_

_"You'd like to, wouldn't you?" he asked, and her mouth dropped. _

_It was obvious that being an asshole was like foreplay, to him._

_"You know what? This was dumb. I'm leaving," Bonnie said, as she slammed her drink on the table, and made her way towards the exit._

_Klaus was faster, though, as he blocked her immediately, and she scowled at the look of amusement on his face. He was taunting her._

_"You wouldn't get so mad if it weren't true," he stated, and she scoffed. "I also wouldn't... tease you the way I do if I didn't care," Klaus added more gently, and Bonnie bit her lip. "Have a seat. I will help you, as you have helped me. You have my word."_

_Bonnie exhaled as she reluctantly made her way back over to the couch, and Klaus sat beside her, as he reached in and handed her the drink._

_She accepted it silently, and took another sip before turning to face him. Her hands were shaking- that couldn't be a good thing._

_"Go on, sweetheart; I'm listening."_

_The sincerity in his eyes was all-too-alarming; she didn't think she'd seen Klaus sincere, ever. He actually wanted to help her and she didn't even have to give him an aneurysm to do so._

_Maybe things would be okay, afterall._

_She tapped her foot nervously before she looked up into his curious eyes, and finally spoke._

_"What you said, that day, at the house... about me being one spell away from losing it all... On a scale of 1 to 10, about how serious were you?"_

_Klaus gazed at her simply, as he recollected his words, and brainstormed an appropriate response._

_"15," he said curtly, and her brows furrowed. "I was not being sly when I made my statement."_

_"So, what, there's a 'three strikes and you're out' rule?" she asked incredulously, and he didn't budge. "You have to be kidding me.. How do you even know any of this?"_

_"The witches are fickle, they make silly little rules like that," he informed. "And the reason I know that is because of your ancestor, Ayanna. Do you forget that she had close family ties with my own?"_

_Bonnie remained silent as Klaus paced the floor before her, drink in hand._

_"She was the only adult in my life who cared about me, back then. Lord knows Mikael hated me, and Esther was ashamed of me. So I... spent a lot my time in her lair. I suppose you can say that my fascination with your kind began, back then. She... showed me all the magic that my mother was afraid to practice. She told me great tales of your ancestors, and the country she was born to. She... told me about dark magic, and the witches who engaged in it; the witches who lost their minds because of it."_

_Bonnie gulped involuntarily, as Klaus stopped before her._

_"What have you done to lose your mind, Bonnie?"_

_The girl shrugged roughly, and tucked a strand behind her ear._

_"I'm not losing my mind."_

_"Right, so, when you're done lying..."_

_"I... I am sane, okay? I just... I found a way to turn Elena back into a human. So, I did it. Elena is a human, again."_

_Klaus' eyes widened, and he watched as Bonnie continued to look at the ground._

_"And then?"_

_"And then..." she started, as she cracked her knuckles, and shook her head. "I started to feel weird, like... like there was something else growing inside of me- almost like-"_

_"Another soul," Klaus said, and Bonnie's eyes widened at the fact that he pin-pointed it perfectly. "The side of you who wants to do dark magic, Bonnie- it's manifesting. She's starting to grow."_

_"How do I stop her?" Bonnie asked desperately. "Is there a spell that I can do? How do I stop whatever the hell is going on inside of my head? I don't have time for this."_

_Klaus sat back down on the couch beside Bonnie, and she trembled when his fingers slid up the side of her neck, and turned her towards him. She could barely breathe when she looked at him._

_"I'm afraid it's too late," he said, and Bonnie frowned. "This side of you, Bonnie... it's like a form of cancer. It develops with you. It multiplies, grows, conquers- it doesn't stop. It cannot stop, until it consumes you."_

_Bonnie tried to turn away, but she found herself melting against his hand, as it slid down from her neck to her chest, and he slid it slowly over her heart._

_"Do you feel that?" _

_Bonnie nodded. She found herself panting at his touch._

_Klaus smiled gently, before leaning his mouth to her ear, and she shook as his breath floated along her skin._

_"You're in transition. Don't fight it, love," he said softly, as she fell into a daze, where the only person in world who could get through to her was him. "The more willing you are, the easier it will be. Everybody loves a rogue witch, Bonnie. It happens to be my favorite thing. You've already turned Elena back into a human, meaning, I can still make my hybrids. I think you're fantastic."_

_Bonnie felt herself grip onto his shoulders, and the look of amusement in his eyes only resurfaced as he ran a finger through her almost-black hair, and she stared at him desperately._

_The change had already begun. And he was going to coach her through it. All she needed was an advocate-she was already on edge._

_"You didn't want to be pushed around anymore, love, and here's your chance- here's your chance to embrace the darkness, and let it explode in your veins, like a drug. Here's your chance to push back; to take what is yours, Bonnie. Isn't this what you wanted? To feel alive?"_

_"I-I think I'm done here," Bonnie said, as she suddenly shot to her feet. "I need to go."_

_"So soon, love? But you haven't even gotten to the best part yet."_

_Almost immediately, Bonnie grabbed Klaus by the neck, and slammed him against the ground, as she straddled on top of him, and gazed directly his eyes. She was still breathing heavily, and the hybrid beneath her studied her as she didn't say a word._

_She was obviously stronger, and a lot more aggressive, too, as she pushed his head so hard against the wooden floor, she cracked it. Her fingers wrapped tightly around his throat, and he bit his lip at the intensity that was floating behind her eyes._

_"Atta girl," Klaus said softly, and she immediately felt a spark run through her when his hands rose to her waist, and gripped her hips tightly. "You want this, don't you?"_

_If he said he wasn't turned on by this, that'd be a lie. It'd been a long time since a girl roughed him around, and he was just dying for her to be the one to do so._

_Bonnie huffed angrily, but finally released Klaus' neck and rose to her feet. In one smooth motion, as she dusted off her pants, and ran her fingers through her hair. Klaus watched her silently, as she adjusted herself, before he finally sat up._

_"Going somewhere?" he asked, and Bonnie turned to face him with a serious glare that burned holes through him._

_She stood before him, with her hands on her hips and her head cocked to the side, as he slowly rose to his feet, and looked at her._

_She may have been so much smaller than he was, but she packed just as much fight._

_Maybe even more._

_"You think I wanna be a monster, Klaus? You think... want to become this thing that you sound so excited about?"_

_"I think that you want to take control of your life, sweetheart, and what better time than now?"_

_Bonnie inhaled deeply, when Klaus' face was suddenly before hers. She felt dizzy in an air of infactuation when his lips slowly and gently brushed against her own, and she felt him smile before he finally spoke._

_"You know what you want, Bonnie. Come after it, already," he whispered. "Be the woman you've always known you could be."_

_He craved the idea of a queen by his side, and could not have been more sickened with the idea of a damsel in distress. He'd never understand the obsession with Elena Gilbert, to be quite honest, and now with his affections solely focused on Bonnie Bennett, he didn't want to._

_He'd made it his mission to have her, and even with a little hard to get, he knew she wouldn't resist for long._

_She couldn't._

_"I have to go," Bonnie said, as she pushed him out of the way, and stumbled out of the living room, and his home, just as quickly as she had entered._

_When she returned, she'd be his; he was quite sure of it._

* * *

Bonnie layed in bed the next morning, after her time spent with Damon, and she still couldn't believe what a turn her day had taken.

She went from believing that she was going on a blind date with some random dude Laila didn't want, to actually being set up with _Damon. _

From Shake Shack to some random bar on the LES, she begrudginngly had to admit that she had a good time with him, as they began to reminesce about their past lives in Mystic Falls. When somebody wasn't dying, it was a pretty nifty place to live in, despite the lameness of it all.

Mystic Falls, Virginia was home, and no matter how much she liked New York, it'd never be the same.

She'd never be the same.

_"Hey, Witchy, remember that time I asked you to dance and you said no?" Damon asked snarkily, and Bonnie scoffed, as she took back another shot._

_"That was every Decade Dance, Damon. You might wanna get specific."_

_Damon laughed as he sipped his beer, and laughed in disbelief._

_"Don't be a liar, it wasn't every time... We danced at the one where Klaus nearly maimed you, when he was in Ric's body."_

_"Oh wow, I forgot about that," she laughed. "Except, he didn't maim me, at all. I faked my death- that was a great plan-"_

_"My plan," Damon cut in, with a wink, and Bonnie pursed her lips to hide the grin that was behind them. "It was my plan, remember?"_

_"Yeah, your plan."_

_"That saved your guts, kiddo. We were kind of a badass team, I think. You sure you're done with all the witchy stuff? We could totally be the new Bonnie and Clyde. Molder and Scully... Angelina and Brad-"_

_"Don't get ahead of yourself," she nudged, and Damon's eyes twinkled, as he took back another gulp, and moved his stool in closer. "We were good, once, but it doesn't mean a thing. We hated each other most of the time, didn't we? "_

_Bonnie couldn't help but stare into his big blue eyes as they raked all over her, but she remained stonefaced in her expression._

_It was all about the pokerface with Damon; it always was._

_"Right," he nodded, with a gentle squint of the eyes. "I should be careful... If I talk about this too much... you might start to think I actually care," he said, and Bonnie bit her lip as she looked to ground, and then back up to his face._

_Was she really playing this game, right now?_

_"We wouldn't want that," she said simply, and he flashed her a cool grin._

_Absolutely. She was absolutely playing this game._

Bonnie was jolted out of her thoughts when her cell phone began ringing, loudly, and she sighed as she grabbed it off of her end table, positive about what the name on the display would read.

_Laila._

She held down the answer key and pressed it to her ear tightly.

"I'm assuming that you're calling to apologize about being such a bitch yesterday," Bonnie said, and she heard Laila exhale longingly before she replied.

"Ouch. Good morning to you too, baby doll. Answer your doorbell, I've been buzzing for ten minutes."

"Maybe that serves you right," Bonnie said as she hopped out of bed, made her way out of the room and down the hall.

She let out a long sigh as she yanked the door open, and Laila strolled right in, and right past her with no sense of hesitation at all, with two cups of Stabrucks in her hands.

"What do you want?" Bonnie asked firmly, and Laila cleared her throat.

"To see how you're doing, obviously," the girl said, as she plopped down on the couch and crossed her legs, before placing the drinks before her. "How were things with Damon? I know I... kinda threw you to the wolves, last night."

_"Wolves?" Bonnie thought. "More like one very bad vampire."_

"Kinda?" Bonnie asked, with raised brows. "You set me up on a date with a guy you know _nothing _about-"

"Right... but he knows you, Bonnie. Pretty well, it seems. Excuse me if I thought somebody knowing who you really are is a good thing."

"You should have checked with me first, Laila-"

"I know, but honestly, would you have gone?" she asked, and Bonnie remained silent. "Listen, I don't know Damon from a hole in the wall, but... it seems like you two have unfinished business. He came all the way here, and you needed to face him, once and for all. If it were me, you would have done the same thing, right?"

Bonnie pursed her lips stubbornly before answering. Laila was right; if she had some weird situation with someone, that seemed to be left unsaid, she'd probably try to push her to fix it, too. She knew that, at the end of the day, Laila only had her best intentions in mind- she always did.

Should she really punish her best friend for being her _only _friend?

"I _really _hate you sometimes..." Bonnie said quietly, and she heard Laila sigh in relief.

"Oh, save it," Laila interrupted. "So... are you gonna spill, or not? Did you two work it out over _Muga Aro?_"

Bonnie bit her lip as she ran her fingers through her touseled hair, and contemplated her answer. Should she really tell Laila that things didnt go as badly as they could have?

_That Damon was actually kind of... okay to be around?_

"More like... peanut butter milkshakes," Bonnie said slowly, as she took a seat next to Laila on her couch. "And Jack Daniels. We... went to Shake Shack. And a bar."

"Oh, wow," Laila replied, in subtle astonishment. "So, Random Blue-Eyed Mystery Man from That Town You Never Talk About got you to not only get hammered on Jack, but eat a fatty burger in front of him? He must be real special, Bonnie. Explain everything. I demand it."

"I didn't get hammered," Bonnie shot back, as she crossed her arms over her chest. "And I eat burgers all the time. Why should that mean anything?"

"Because I jump to conclusions," Laila replied, and Bonnie scoffed, as she grabbed her cup of coffee, and took a sip. "Listen, I know the signs when I see them; old unrequited love is a bitch, Bonnie. I think that... you are Damon's 'Susan Glenn'- you are Damon's 'One That Got Away'."

Bonnie choked on her coffee immediately, and furrowed her brows.

"Are you kidding, Laila?"

"I don't know, am I? Should I just keep making assumptions until you tell me the truth?" she pressed, and Bonnie snorted.

"No. You should stop making assumptions altogether. Damon is... just a guy from back home. One that annoyed me, a lot, for a bunch of reasons I'd rather not talk about. But he... also helped me a lot, too. When I went through a really rough time. But that's all; I'm not his Susan Glenn. I don't even know what that means," she said, as she heard a knock on the door.

"Have you ever kissed him?" Laila asked, and Bonnie's face began to heat up, as she neared it and shook her head.

"I plead the fifth," Bonnie replied.

She barely heard a word the girl said in response though, as her senses were suddenly turned into a dizzy the moment she turned the knob, and pulled the door back, to reveal that familiar face that donned a gentle smirk, and piercing oceanic eyes.

Bonnie had no idea why, but she was taken aback- maybe because he was here, perhaps, or maybe _just because._

All she knew was that she didn't like the way her stomach flopped and her heart raced as she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

She was, quite literally, speechless.

"D-Damon, hey," she stumbled, and he smiled gently at her, before casting his eyes into his apartment, and waving at Laila.

"Damon!" the girl exclaimed. "Awesome to see you. Bonnie and I were _just _talking about you."

"Oh, were you? All great things, I hope?" he asked with a wink, as he leaned against the door, and Bonnie gulped.

"You know I never have anything great to say about you, Damon," Bonnie replied gently, and he bit his lip.

"I figured. But you know I'm always trying to change that, anyway."

Bonnie didn't reply, as she and Damon went into a silent stand-off between each other, that she wasn't even entirely sure how it began, in the first place. He continuously stared at her, with some sort of subtle fascination, and she was obviously the one to look away first.

_She always hated the way he looked at her. She hated the way she looked at him, even more._

"So, you don't know who Susan Glenn is?" Damon asked with a raised brow. "She's in all those Old Spice commercials," he added, and she licked her teeth.

"Wow, you could hear that from all the way out in the hallway, Damon? That's impressive," Laila said, and Damon smirked.

"What can I say? I've always been told that my abilities are a little... _supernatural._ I can hear a lot from out here," he winked, and Bonnie rolled her eyes.

He really was a douchebag, sometimes.

"Speaking of, why are you still out there? Bonnie, invite the guy in already, why don't ya?"

Bonnie immediately felt a shock run down her spine as she glanced back at Damon, and he was straightening up before.

If only Laila had known the weight of her words.

"Yeah, Bonnie," he challenged, with a simple smirk behind his voice. "Why don't you invite me in?"

He was standing on the other side of the invisible threshold, but this wasn't comfortable, by any means. She'd have to remind herself that it was entirely stupid of her to share a cab with him last night, because unfortunately enough, now he knew where she _lived._

"You're probably way too busy for that," she countered, and he feigned a frown.

"I'm never too busy for you, Judgey. Haven't I proven that?"

Bonnie groaned, as she heard Laila sigh in admiration.

"And you've got a nickname for her, too? What's that about?"

"Bonnie... really hasn't told you much, has she?" he asked, and when Laila shook her head, he grinned. "Well, funny story. I just so happen to call her Judgey because there was this one time-"

"Damon, come in," Bonnie interrupted quickly, and she watched the obvious illumination in his eyes, as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, and slowly strolled in.

He stopped right in front of her, and his mouth moved dangerously close to her ear, as he spoke in a nearly inaudible tone.

"Truthfully speaking, I don't remember when I gave you that nickname," he said, before moving past her, and to the couch.

She was fuming, to be quite honest, but she decided to keep her cool; at least in front of Laila. Who knew what else this vampire bastard was planning on saying.

"Nice place, Bon," Damon commented, as he surveyed the area in close observation. "I expect I'll get the full tour, soon?" he asked.

"Or now," Laila said, and Bonnie shot her a glance. "I totally forgot-I have a paper to write for my feminism class, and it's probably going to take me all day," she continued, as she neared the door.

"You're leaving?" Bonnie asked incredulously, and Laila quickly yanked the door open. "I thought we were going to the park today."

"Ooh, yeah, sorry. Change of plans... But maybe Damon will wanna go, instead?" Laila asked as she eyed them both with a smile. "Later, guys. Have fun."

And with that, the door slammed shut behind her. Bonnie's patience and tact went right along with her.

She stalked right over to the couch, and pushed Damon's shoulder, hard, garnering a long howl from his lips.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked angrily, and the vampire hopped to his feet to face her, as she continued to pummel away at his arms.

He easily grabbed her by the hands and stopped her, with little effort at all.

"Whoa, you been hittin' the gym lately?"

"I'm serious," she said between her teeth. "What do you want, Damon?"

"Nothing, jeez," he replied, and she huffed as she listened. "I was in the neighborhood." Damon said, and her brows scrunched.

"Is that so? Doing what, exactly?"

"Whoa, didn't realize you were actually my mom, and I gave you the go-ahead to know all of my business," he winked, and Bonnie pursed her lips.

"And I didn't realize you were a stalker, and I gave you permission to just pop up here," she snapped back, and Damon rolled his eyes.

"I don't know what to tell you, honey; get a restraining order," he said flatly. "Though, in my experience, those do _not _work..."

"Damon," she interrupted, and he smiled. "What do want, really? I thought I appeased you by hanging out, last night."

"Wrong move, Bonnie- you're never supposed to appease your enemies. You'll end up with a Hitler on your hands. Didn't Ric teach you anything in that history class of his?"

"When he was sober, I guess," Bonnie answered, and she watched as a faint look appeared in his, for his long lost friend.

Bonnie remained silent, for a moment, as she now realized it had been over one year since Ric had died- since that one fateful night that changed everything.

Elena drowned and became a vampire, Bonnie switched Klaus into Tyler's body, and Damon was left without the only person he could have ever truly considered a friend, in over one hundred years on this earth.

She sometimes forgot that she wasn't the only one to lose something. She sometimes forgot that Damon was just as lousy as shoving away his emotions as she was.

_He kept his pokerface, though, as did she. They always had their pokerfaces._

"I didn't mean to bother you, Bonnie," Damon finally said in a softer tone, as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Then why are you? Do you realize I just invited you in?"

"Oh, calm down. It's not like I'm sticking around here, anyway," he said, and she pursed her lips. "I just... figured I'd stop by, say hello... Maybe ask if you were interested in grabbing breakfast, like you humans do, to bid my farewell... the usual anti-climatic sort of thing that I'm so good at."

Bonnie remained quiet, as she slowly let her hands drop, and she relaxed her stance. When her green eyes met his, he didn't look away.

_He never did._

"Y-You're _leaving? _You're... leaving New York?" she asked, trying her best to hide the surprise in her tone, and he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Don't sound so sad, Bonnie," he eased, and she scoffed.

"I'm not," she snapped. "I'm just... surprised, is all. I... figured you'd wanna stick around, a bit longer. NYC is just kind of a big party- I know that's your thing and all."

His brow rose, as he opened his mouth to respond, but he stopped. Bonnie's eyes widened expectingly, and Damon cleared his throat.

"You really think that's all I'm about, huh? Still?" he asked, and Bonnie bit her lip as his blue eyes melted against hers so fast, she had to shake her head to clear the image.

"You're Damon," she said, in a defiant tone. "I don't even think _you _know what you're all about."

"Amen to that," he replied. "So, what'll it be, Judgey? One last hangout, for old times sake?"

Bonnie gently tapped her foot against the hardwood floor as he stared at her, and she contemplated her answer.

It was all that she could do to keep from drowning in the deafening silence, honestly, as he seemed to study her in that amazingly complex way that he did. It was subtle, yes, but it was something constant that she'd noticed, ever since the day she'd met Damon.

He liked to stare at her, and for whatever reason, she always took the bait and gazed right back.

Whether they were glaring in anger, agreement, admiration, or mutual assurance, the way his eyes met hers was something that she'd always remember; it was something that constantly burned in the back of her mind.

_She'd be burned at the stake before she ever began to explain why._

"Do I get to pick the place?" she asked.

"If there are hot waitresses, sure. I'd enjoy a little snack, and the airplane food just doesn't quite do it for me."

"Right, because you're more of an A-positive type of guy, as opposed to in-flight peanuts... We're getting take-out."

Damon grinned at that, as Bonnie stood fiercely, and placed her hands on her hips.

This girl; she had been through a lot- probably the worst era of her life, the last time he saw here-but here she was. She still stood strong, she still snapped at him, and she still thrived on putting him in his place.

Bonnie Bennett may have changed, but she also didn't- she didn't change, at all.

"Suit yourself," Damon winked, as he glanced at his watch, before stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Shall we?"

"You think I'm going out like this?" Bonnie asked, as she pointed to her pajamas. "Not gonna happen. Gimme a few," she added. "I've gotta shower. And no, you can't join me."

"You know me _so _well," Damon grinned, as he plopped down on the couch, once more. "Take your time. My flight leaves at 3."

"Ten minutes, max" Bonnie said, and Damon rolled his eyes.

Ten minutes really meant thirty, because although Bonnie was a witch, she was still a _woman, _too.

_A woman that he cared enough about to say goodbye to._

"I'll be waiting," he answered, and he listened at Bonnie let out a frustrated sigh, before walking off to her bathroom, and shutting the door behind her.

It wasn't long before he heard the water running, and he was to his feet, glancing at all there was to see, around him.

Damon approached Bonnie's bookcase, and looked at the contents of it, in silence.

_The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Great Gatsby, The Alchemist._

He wondered if they were all books that she had read for pleasure, or for her classes.

_Twilight._

He guessed all the previous ones weren't her choice.

He walked back over to her end table, where he noticed a picture frame that was facing down. He took it into his hands, and felt a bout of curiousity running through him when he saw the faces on it.

_Bonnie, Elena, and Caroline._

The picture had to have been before the girls discovered the supernatural, for, their smiles were actually _genuine. _They really looked stress-free and happy, and he was sure that level of content could no longer be duplicated within any of them, anymore.

The supernatural world took their innocence away.

Damon placed the picture down; this time, upright, before finally abandoning the living room, and making his way down the hallway, as he observed Bonnie's choice of decor.

All paintings and fancy photographs, but much to his surprise, no more pictures of anyone from back home.

At all.

He expected to at least see another one of she, Elena, and Caroline, but the familiar faces were nowhere to be found, the longer he followed the stretch down towards her bedroom.

Had she done that accidentally? Or was she really just completely over Mystic Falls, and everyone in it?

_That strange lack of pictures could never be an accident. Isn't that what people did when they moved away; decorated their new space with memories from the past?_

He wandered into her bedroom, finally, and he wasn't the least bit surprised with the decoration. She had completely embraced the New York lifestyle when it came down to it.

Her bedroom walls were a simple maroon color, that contrasted quite well with the black and white comforter set that swallowed her bed. Everything from the candles, to the lone vase with the flowers- it all looked incredibly sophisticated. Bonnie had grown up, and it would be apparent to anyone who ever stepped foot into this room.

He was about to make his way out, when his eyes caught sight of leatherbound book sitting on her end table, and he was immediately intrigued by it. Damon picked it up, and flipped through a page or two, before realizing it was her journal.

In all the years that he had known Bonnie, getting hold of the ideas that really plagued her mind had been his most difficult task, of all. She was just like him, in a way, where she was just always on the defensive, and scared shitless to truly express the worries on her mind.

She never wanted to be seen as weak.

Damon shut the book, and let out a heavy sigh.

_He'd already seen her at her weakest._

"What are you doing in here?" Damon heard, and he spun around to see a wide-eyed Bonnie with a towel wrapped around her body, frozen in her stance as he glared at her openly.

She seemed to be glowing in a way that he couldn't really describe, as her arms were wrapped tightly around her chest, and her damp hair sat square on her bare shoulders.

He was a bit enamored by seeing her like this, but Bonnie? Not so much.

The scolding stare she was sending him was enough to let him know that she was not pleased.

"Damon, seriously? Why are you in my bedroom?" she asked, as she tapped her foot, and he rolled his eyes nonchalantly.

"Well, you wouldn't give me the grand tour, so I had to take it upon myself. Nice curtains, by the way-"

"Get out, please. I need to get dressed," she shot back, and he let out a long whistle before he slowly began to approach her.

Bonnie remained firm, though on the inside, she was shaking, as Damon's eyes met hers, and he walked over towards her.

She looked down, but he immediately captured her chin with his fingers. She felt something ignite inside of her the minute he touched her skin, and she hated it.

_She hated that after all of this time, she could still feel this way._

"This," she began slowly, as she pushed his hand away. "... is not exactly my idea of 'appropriate,' Damon," Bonnie finished, and he squinted his eyes, while never taking them off of her.

"Why's that? You know," he began, as he inched in closer, and Bonnie felt herself moving backwards with his movement. "It's not like you have anything going on that I haven't seen before."

Bonnie felt her back press against the wall, and his eyes never dropped from hers, as she remained silent, and he rose a hand to her, again.

This time, Damon's thumb slowly brushed against her lip, before she reluctantly batted it away, and looked up at him.

"So, you came all the way here for sex... The fact that you're not getting any from me must be disappointing," Bonnie muttered, and Damon's expression soured as the words passed her lips.

"I came here because I _care _about you," he said, and she rolled her eyes. "But if you asked me for sex, I guess I wouldn't turn you down," Damon countered, and she finally pushed past him in annoyance.

"How sweet of you," she said sarcastically, as she made her way over to her dresser, and began taking out a pair of jeans and a shirt. "Good to know that if I'm ever uncharacteristically horny, I can call you, and you'll come running to New York to help me out."

"Just looking out," Damon winked, and Bonnie sighed in frustration. "How have you been in that department, anyway?"

"Really, Damon? You're asking about my sex life?"

"I'm just curious," he said honestly, as he plopped down on her bed, and covered his eyes graciously, so Bonnie could get dressed. "How many guys have you been with since... you know?"

"Just stop, Damon, seriously. We're not even gonna go there."

"Fine. We won't go there."

"Good. Because I don't wanna remember any of it."

"That many guys, huh?"

"You sound jealous," she replied, and he bit his lip.

"Maybe I am," he answered, and Bonnie stopped abruptly, as she turned around and looked at him. "Maybe... Laila was right; you _really _just might be the one that got away."

There was a long silence between them as Bonnie laid her hairbrush down, and Damon looked down at his hands, as the air of awkwardness floated between them. She was just waiting for him to burst out in laughter, or send her a wink, like he always did, but she was awarded no such luck.

There was no hint of joking in his eyes as he looked back at her- and she exhaled longingly as she picked up her eyeliner, and began to apply it silently. His eyes were burning through her, and the harder she tried to ignore it, the more difficult it became to evade him.

_He'd always gotten under her skin. _

"Ready to go?" she asked, quickly changing the subject, and Damon hopped out of her bed, with a nod, as he followed the girl to the door; trying his absolute best to keep from bursting at the seams.

"You know it, Judgey," he shot back. "I'm always ready."

_Truth was, he was never ready._

* * *

"So, what do you actually do here, in New York?" Damon asked, as he looked up at Bonnie. "Considering you don't talk to anyone from back home?"

Bonnie bit her lip as she looked up from her bacon, egg white, and swiss sandwich that she lay before her, and into his question eyes that seemed to illuminate with the morning sun.

They were sitting on the rocks at Central Park; one of her all-time favorite places to go in the city, when it came to enjoying the scenery and soaking in the nice weather.

The park buzzed with life, as the other patrons were either jogging, walking their dogs, or simply occupied by the conversations going on between them.

She was used to coming here alone, most days, just to think. Other times, she got Laila to join, though the girl hated anything to do with the outdoors. Today? It was Damon's turn oo be her company, and call her crazy, but she actually thought he kind of liked it.

There was something about being outside in a place like this that reminded her of Virginia, and she was sure he shared the same sentiment as well- the leaves, the trees, the air- this was one of the few places in the city where they could actually breathe all of that in.

It was one of the only places that reminded her of how things could have been.

"I work, at the bar with Laila... I go to NYU... I just- I kind of do whatever I want now, Damon. Without the pressure of being everybody's superhero. It's refreshing," she said softly, and Damon nodded.

"Understandable. But do you ever get lonely?"

Bonnie remained silent as she continued chewing, until she finally shrugged, and looked into his eyes.

"Being lonely isn't so bad, sometimes."

"Right, but it can't always be good either, Bennett," he said, and Bonnie cleared her throat. "I would know. I've done a lot of crazy shit in the name of being lonely," Damon added.

Bonnie sipped her drink, and looked up.

"Like... helping me when I lost it?" she asked, and Damon looked into her curious eyes. "Being there for the crazy witch who almost killed the love of your life... that was a desperate act of loneliness, wasn't it?"

"Maybe," Damon answered, as he looked up at the sky, and then back down at her. "Or maybe the _real _plot twist is that I did it because I... actually cared about said crazy witch. And I knew that a lot of what was happening to her... was kind of my fault. I knew that, no matter how much she claimed to hate me, she actually saved my life a few times, and I owed her. I still do."

The only sounds that passed between them were the noise of the children playing down below, and the wrapper on Bonnie's breakfast sandwich, before she spoke.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were apologizing," she stated, and Damon continued to look up at the sky.

"Take it or leave it. It's very rare that I show gratitude."

"I've noticed," she replied, and Damon flashed a simple smile as she took another bite. "So, did you and Elena..."

"Ever amount to anything? No," he stated bluntly. "I mean, she remembered all those pesky things I told her to forget when she transitioned into a vampire, and that sucked... but when you did that spell for her to become a human again, it was... right back to the 'it's always gonna be Stefan,' spiel."

"And is it still Stefan?" Bonnie asked, and Damon scoffed.

"More like Matt Donovan," he said, and Bonnie's eyebrows rose. "She finally realized that... after such a long time of being between Stefan and I, that she didn't really want _either _of us, anyway; she wanted to live a normal 'human' life with a normal human boyfriend. I guess it's a good thing Stefan saved him from drowning, right?" Damon said bitterly, and Bonnie remained silent.

She'd really missed a lot.

"How's Caroline?" she asked, and Damon furrowed his brows.

"I don't know, Bonnie. Maybe you should answer Barbie's emails, every once in a while. She told me that she tries to reach out, but you ignore her. Kind of rude, actually."

"I... I don't do it on purpose, Damon. I just... I'm not the same person that I was back then, and I don't wanna disappoint her."

"You're kidding, right? You do know that the only real way to disappoint Caroline is to tell her that the mall is closed? She was your best friend, Bonnie- even if _you _thought it was Elena. It was Blondie- it always has been. And I think she'd like to hear from you one of these days."

Bonnie sighed, but nodded in agreement. It wasn't really fair the way she cut Caroline off, when the girl had done nothing but let her know that things didn't have to change between them, just because they had with she and Elena.

Caroline Forbes was somebody that she never wanted to disappear from her life, but she had, unfortunately, because of Bonnie's desire to push her away.

Maybe she would stop pushing.

"She hates me, I'm sure," Bonnie responded. "She has every reason to."

"Just like you had every reason to hate me, but you didn't" Damon replied, and she didn't respond. "Don't be so sure that she does, Judgey. People may surprise you sometimes."

"I surprised you?" she asked, and Damon layed back comfortably on the flat rock, with his eyes shut, and his palms behind his head.

"Only as much as I surprised you."

* * *

"You didn't have to walk me all the way back to my door, Damon. I could have made it up the elevator just fine," Bonnie said, and Damon stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets when they stopped at her door.

"But what if there was a crazed witch hunter waiting for you when you got back?"

"Crazed witch hunter? We're in New York, Damon. Not Mystic Falls. I think I'm okay," she replied, and he smiled.

"Just looking out, Bennett."

"I know," she answered, before she inhaled deeply. "Thank you."

The two stood in a comfortable silence for a moment, as she let the memories between them infiltrate her mind, as she was sure it did to his. It'd been a long time since she'd seen Damon, but that didn't exactly mean that she forgot everything.

And though his time here was short, she would regretfully miss him; much more than she would ever allow herself to say.

Those blue eyes, that raven hair- it all bred such a familiarity to her, and it was a bit painful knowing that after today, it'd probably be a very long time before she saw him again.

Damon would go back home; back to everything he knew, and she wouldn't even be a second thought.

He'd have his girls, his bourbon, his blood, and his brother- he never really needed much else, when it came down to it.

_He never really needed her._

"I think that's my cue to go," he said slowly, as he looked down at his watch, and then back at her. "I've gotta get back to my hotel and pack. Maybe hit up the local hospital for a blood bag, or five," he winked, and Bonnie nodded.

"Or five... Typical, Damon."

"You're judging again," he sang, and she cracked a smile. "So... I'll see you around?"

Bonnie nodded, and her breath stopped when Damon's hand rose to her face, again, and tucked the loose strand of hair that threatened to fly away, behind her ear. His eyes lingered on hers; perhaps a bit longer than they needed to, and she slowly began to drown in her thoughts, as the blinking of her lids became heavy.

Damon searched her eyes for the strength to say something-_anything- _more, but he was at a loss, for the first time in his life.

What did you say when goodbye was the only thing you had left?

His hand dropped slowly, and without another word, he turned on his heel to walk away.

Bonnie swallowed hard as she watched him make his way down the hallway, and she ran her fingers through her hair silently. With Damon's return, she remembered just why the two had forged such a bond back then, and she ached for the feeling of closeness that she felt when she was near to him.

Damon made her feel _normal. _Damon made her feel okay with who she was.

_Damon made her remember what it was like not to feel so alone. If she was the misery, Damon was her company. Damon was capable of being anything._

With Damon's exit, she remembered all of the reasons she had left Mystic Falls in the first place; her fear of facing everyone, after the monster she had undoubtedly become. Her fright when it came to never being able to live up to their expectations, ever again- it haunted her, down to her core.

So, as she watched him, making his way into the elevator, she did something she never imagined she would do- something she never _dreamed _she was capable of doing.

_She went after him._

"Damon!" Bonnie called, as she ran down the hallway, and she quickly made her way to the elevator where his hand expertly stopped the door from closing, just as she appeared before him.

Damon was staring at her curiously, as his palm still halted the elevator from leaving, and she breathed in deeply, as she tried to regain her composure.

"You okay, Bonnie?" he asked simply. "Did the crazed witch hunter actually appear?"

"No, but my common sense did," she replied, and his brows furrowed in confusion. "I... I remembered what you said, earlier; about it not always being so good to be alone, and I don't even know what I'm thinking, or even saying- if I make _any _sense-"

"Spit it out, then. I can handle it," Damon promised, and she breathed evenly, though her heart was racing out of her chest.

Was she really going to do this?

"Do you wanna just... _stay _in New York with me? I guess you can stay in my apartment?" she asked impulsively, and Damon's face seemed to change to a ghostly white as she said that. "If you wanted... until you wanted to leave or find your own place?"

_Did she really just stay that?_

Damon finally walked back out of the elevator, and he let the door close behind him, as he stared at her, like she had five heads.

Bonnie felt like her heart was leaping into her throat, at this point, as Damon didn't utter so much as a sound in return. She sighed as she pressed her eyes shut, and shook her head quickly.

_Bad idea. Terrible fucking idea._

"You know what? I don't why I said that, but I take it back," Bonnie said swiftly, and Damon still stood paralyzed. "I guess.. it just felt nice to have someone that I really know around, for a change. Even if it was you. Forget I said anything. Have a safe flight," Bonnie added, as she turned around and began to speedwalk away from him.

What the hell in her right mind had possessed her to ask Damon to _move in with her?_

She must have caught a case of hysteria if she thought that situation would even be a viable option.

_She must have lost her damn mind, again._

Damon raised a finger to speak, but Bonnie was already off, like a bat into the night and he was pretty speechless when it came down to it, anyway.

Was he even ready or willing to pick up and leave everything back home to stay in New York semi-permanently with a girl who was kind of, sort of, the best frenemy he had ever had?

He found himself in front of her door, pounding away, though, as he called her loudly, and she responded from the other side.

_"Go away, I was kidding!" Bonnie yelled, and Damon growled in frustration._

She was still annoying as hell; at least that hadn't changed.

"You can't just say all of that stuff, Judgey, and then take it all back. You didn't even give me a chance to give you an answer!" he yelled back.

_"Because your answer should be no! Your answer should be that you have a life back home in Mystic Falls."_

"Like, what? Playing darts at the Grill? That's bullshit, Bonnie. What if my answer is yes?" Damon stood there quietly, as he didn't hear a sound escape from the other side of the door. "Remember that time you invited me in, Bonnie? I'm actually being a nice guy by waiting out here," he mentioned.

The door suddenly opened, and Bonnie was standing there with an unamused expression on her face, as she folded her arms, and he cocked his head in return.

"I don't know what I was thinking," she confessed, as he listened. "That was the most ridiculous thing I've ever thought of-"

"Fine, but that doesn't make it wrong, does it?" Damon answered. Bonnie didn't respond as he took a step in closer. "Is it utterly ridiculous if I... say that I actually like that idea, too? I mean, we did spend all that quality time in the _Salvatore Dungeon _together. I think we'd be great as roomies. Don't you agree?"

Bonnie breathed a heavy sigh, and placed both hands on her hips. She hated that he was even making her reconsider this.

"What about Stefan, Damon? You're gonna just leave him there?"

"Trust me, Judgey, when I say that my brother isn't as lonely or brooding as he seems. Especially not while I'm away. He might actually love this idea-he'll love you, even more, for having it."

Bonnie tightened her grip on her skin, and Damon stepped in even closer, and exhaled longingly. This was going to take a bit more work. He hardly even believed it was her idea in the first place.

"If it makes you feel better... this won't be a set in stone thing. I'll... find my own apartment, eventually, so we don't have any reason to kill each other. A little while will not hurt you, Bonnie. It'll be fun- I promise. What do _you _say?"

She felt her nervous foot tapping against the floor, as every voice inside of her head screamed anxiously that this was a bad idea, and she had no clue just what the hell she was getting herself into.

She could agree; making the committment to allow Damon to take up residency in her apartment was a bad idea- probably the worst she'd ever had. They were bound to argue, fight, grate each other's last nerves, and step on each other's toes.

It was going to be quite possibly the most predictable scenario she'd ever put herself in, in her entire life.

But somehow, she _wanted _that- she wanted something to feel the same, in the sea of differences that had engulfed her. She wanted something that would remind her of who she really was, not what she was pushing herself so hard to be.

She wanted to feel normal; and she felt like her most normal, judgey, stubborn, hard-headed, and determined around _him; _it was always him.

Bonnie pursed her lips, and looked once more into his hopeful eyes.

Did he really want this as much as she did? Were they both just insane, by a landslide, at this point?

_Yes; yes they were._

"Okay, Damon," she nodded, and the vampire glanced back in astonishment as the words passed her lips. "You can... move in with me. Let's just hope we don't regret this."

Damon smiled as he rose his eyebrows, and glanced back at her with a victorious expression on his face. She bit her lip and looked away when she realized that a small smile of her own was forming at her mouth, and just like clockwork, he had seen it.

He had always seen it.

_She was fully expecting to regret this_.

A/N: Hey, everyone! So, I hope I didn't make you wait too long with this update, I've just been super busy trying to make it good and I hope I delivered! What did you all think of the chapter? First off-Damon moving into Bonnie's apartment, how do we all think that's gonna go? They will deff be in for some interesting times as they begin to realize that maybeeee it wasn't such a wise idea. Also, what do you think about the past that these two shared? I purposely didn't get into that much because I plan on exploring that more later on. Do you think whatever happened will complicate things? What about the dream about Klaus, & the updates Damon gave Bonnie on everyone back home? Expect some more people to be popping up into Bonnie's current life as the story goes on. :) As always, thank you so much for reading. i love every single one of you. Until next time? R&R!


	4. Save Me

**Save Me**

"And you gave me love  
When I could not love myself  
And you made me turn  
From the way I saw myself  
And you're patient, love  
And you help me help myself  
And you save me"

-Gotye

"Uh, Stefan? What the hell is this?" Caroline asked, as she walked into the living room of the boarding house, to find the vampire scotch taping a big brown box, that was one of many covering the rug. "Are you... moving?"

Stefan sighed as he ripped the end of the tape, and pressed it hard against the box to seal it shut. Caroline stopped before him, with hers arms folded across her chest, and a look of confusion on her face.

Clearly, she was waiting for some answers. And clearly, he was going to have to give them to her.

"Damon called last night," Stefan said, as he stood to his feet, and observed the chaotic environment before him. "He's... moving to New York... He left a few days ago. I'm sending his stuff."

Caroline's eyes widened as they remained on his, and she shook her head.

"Wait, what? Damon's in New York? I thought he maybe just fell asleep at a bar, or something, and decided not to come home."

Stefan exhaled longingly, as he sat down on his couch, and tilted his head to the ceiling. His fingers ran through his caramel colored hair, and he shut his eyes tightly, as the silence floated between them.

Caroline removed her messenger bag, and hesitantly sat beside him, as she waited a string of words to pass from his lips.

"He's gone, Caroline. For a while, I think. Just when I was starting to get used to having him around... He leaves."

Caroline frowned at that, as she folded her hands over her lap, and remained with eyes on Stefan.

She knew all about the tumultuous relationship Damon and Stefan had over the years. They went from hating each other, to saving each other, to ultimately, loving one another.

_It was mostly in part to Elena no longer being a pivotal role in either of their lives._

Damon and Stefan were at the best they had been, because no longer were they battling for the affections of the doe-eyed doppelganger. When Elena left, it ultimately became a blessing in disguise.

Stefan's depression forced Damon to finally be the big brother that he once was; the one who fiercely shielded his little brother from harm, without ever thinking twice about it. Stefan felt himself changing, too, as he no longer doubted his brother, instead, embracing Damon for all that he was and all that he could be.

It eventually became clear to them both that Elena was just a girl; an 18 year old human, who was far too broken and much too damaged to think about _forever_- especially with either of them. And at the end of the day, they were brothers, and they shouldn't have let anything come in between them.

Their love for each other should have surpassed it all.

"Why would he leave, Stefan? I mean, you guys were just taking back shots a few days ago. What the hell is in New Yo-" she started, and then stopped. Stefan's olive eyes reopened, as he glanced at her quietly, and she blinked furiously. "Wait… Bonnie? Did... he leave to go see Bonnie?"

Stefan didn't say a word, but he sat up straighter, and crossed his arms over his chest. Caroline felt the air in her grow tight just at the mention of her estranged best friend's name. She tucked a blonde curl behind her ear, and Stefan turned to face her; eyes dripping with sympathy.

"I'm... worried, Caroline... because of what happened before. But I can't leave. I know he wanted to go at this, alone. Maybe bring her back-"

"Why... didn't you tell me?" she asked, and he bit his lip, as he contemplated an answer.

"I-I didn't want to hurt you, Caroline. I know that you're still upset about you and Bonnie not being close anymore. I didn't wanna pour salt on an old wound. I'm... sorry."

Caroline shook her head, and let out a nervous laugh.

"Stefan, that's absurd. I'm fine-"

"You're not," he cut in, and her lips shut tightly. "You... haven't been, since she left."

Caroline remained quiet, as Stefan moved in closer, and she looked down to the ground. He noticed the gentle gloss in her eyes, even before a tear trickled down her porcelain cheek. He brushed his fingers along her jaw, and just like clockwork, she erupted into a full-on sob. Stefan gently took her into his arms, as Caroline cried against his chest- tears staining his navy blue t-shirt.

This happened sometimes; when Caroline's mind flooded with memories of Bonnie. The girl sobbed for hours. There were many days when Caroline cried herself to sleep in his very bed, and the most he could do was just _be there._

_Being there was the hardest part._

"She hates me, Stefan," Caroline said tearfully, as he soothingly ran a hand over her blonde locks. "She hates me, _so much._"

"Bonnie doesn't hate you," he said softly, as he held her tighter. "She's just... she needed a change, Caroline."

"A change from saving us; from risking her life to keep us all safe," Caroline said bitterly. "She lost her mind because of us, Stefan! If she hadn't put Klaus into Tyler's body... or reversed Elena's transition- I didn't stop her. I should have stopped her," Caroline cried, and he didn't say a word, because he knew that it was true.

Bonnie had lost her mind as a result of continuously saving those around her. But her biggest mistake? Helping Elena to stay a human. Stefan had watched it, too, as Bonnie exhausted each and every possible option to aid her best friend, and the former love of his life.

He knew it was wrong, but he couldn't help it. He had been his most selfish, in that very moment, when he didn't stop Bonnie. And until this day, it was something that he regretted, with each and every fiber of his being.

"You're not the one to blame, Caroline," Stefan said softly, and she sniffled. "I-I didn't do what I could have to help her. And... as much as I worry for Damon, I know that he's doing the right thing. Bonnie needs someone... And, it's probably him. But that doesn't mean that you haven't done the best that you can, Caroline- I know you have."

Caroline wiped her tears, and her blue eyes glistened, as she she sat up straighter. Stefan placed both hands on her cheeks, and she inhaled deeply, when he placed a tender kiss on her forehead, that was wrinkled with worry.

When Stefan pulled away, she shook her head, and ran her fingers through her hair, as she stood to her feet. Stefan watched on in silence as the fierce blonde placed both hands on her hips and exhaled a breath before speaking.

"What if I haven't? What if my best wasn't good enough, Stefan? What if... I go to New York, too? I mean, my semester ends in a few days, and I'm not taking any summer classes. I can just... finally _see her_. Tell her how I feel."

Stefan cleared his throat as he stood to his feet, but he didn't respond. Caroline's icy eyes were burning right through him, as he tried to figure out the best way to tell her that this was a terrible idea.

"Caroline-"

"It's worth a shot, isn't it? _She's _worth one last shot, right?"

Stefan stuffed his hands into his pockets, and Caroline walked up to him, silently, as she breathed in deeply. It was Caroline's turn to take his face into her hands, and look him square in the eyes, as he followed hers.

"I know... I know that you don't wanna do this, Stefan, because you've lost all hope... But I haven't- I _can't. _And you- you're my best friend; the one who listens to my rants, even when I'm being a psycho. You're the one who makes sure I don't starve when I decide to cram last minute for a test... The one who carries my drunk ass home after ten-too-many martinis during Happy Hour," she said, and Stefan sighed.

"It was eleven."

"You're not gonna let me forget that, will you?" she asked, with a twinkle in her eye, and Stefan shrugged with a faint smile.

"Just doing my part in the neighborhood watch, Care."

"Then, don't you see, Stefan? Can't you see that we belong _there, _with Bonnie and Damon? In New York Freakin' City?" she asked wistfully, and he remained silent. "If not just for them but... for _us? _Because really, what do we have left here? I don't have Tyler; you don't have Elena- so what do we have left to lose?"

Stefan didn't move, as Caroline moved in a bit closer, and sighed. She looked down the ground, and then into his solid eyes, before she spoke again.

"I just... I'm _so _sick of this place, Stefan- I really am. It's nothing but bad memories, love lost, and everything we're never getting back. And if I could just leave- just for _one _day... If I could see Bonnie, and see you _smile _again... I would give up everything I own for that. I honestly would."

Stefan looked away, but Caroline's hands brought his gaze back to hers.

The clear yearning in her oceanic eyes seemed course right through him.

He honestly didn't know what to do.

On one hand, he knew it- he knew this was a crazy idea. Stefan didn't exactly know if it was a smart idea to now overwhelm Bonnie with his and Caroline's presence, right as she was adjusting to Damon's.

She was still healing, and she deserved to do so, in peace.

_But what if Caroline was right?_

What if they needed to see Bonnie, to make things right, after all that they had done? Stefan knew that he, especially, owed Bonnie much more than he offered her, and someday, he did want to fix that.

_What if that day was today? What if it was time to bite the bullet, and face her? _

Caroline was also right, when it came to things with Elena, as well.

True, he was a little less heartbroken, and yes, it helped that he had Caroline to relate to, but that didn't mean that being in this place made it any easier.

Every trip to the annual carnival reminded him of her; especially when his eyes set gaze on the ferris wheel. He was convinced that his pillows still smelled of her perfume, even though he'd washed them a million times. And her house? Well, it didn't belong to her, anymore, as she and Matt had moved away, taking Jeremy with them, too. But seeing it triggered the painful memories, anyhow.

Every kiss, every fight, every hug, every tear- he'd given it all to her, and now, he was left with nothing to show for it.

_What if it really was time for a change?_

Stefan exhaled, and her brows scrunched when she looked at him silently, as he gathered the words to say.

"You're serious about this," he stated, and she folded her arms.

"I am," Caroline replied, and he licked his tongue over teeth. "As serious as ever, Stefan."

Her eyes were no longer filled with sadness, but with firm determination, as she was making it clear that this was her decision, and she was standing by it.

He had only two choices; to move forward, or to stand back. And he didn't want to waste another day.

"Okay," Stefan said in a soft tone, and Caroline's eyes illuminated. "I'm doing this, okay? And... not just for Bonnie or Damon. But for _you. _A big part of me is doing this because I know it means a lot to you. And... you mean a lot to me, okay?"

Before Stefan could say another word, Caroline had him wrapped so tightly into a hug, he felt himself immediately starved for air.

Good thing he didn't need air, anyway.

The blonde squealed loudly, and Stefan groaned as she bounced excitedly in his arms. He stood stoically as she kissed his cheeks furiously, and finally released him long enough to clap with delight. Her eyes gleamed happily, and he couldn't help but bite back a smile as she celebrated her tiny victory.

"But you have to finish your semester, Care; I'm serious. We're not going anywhere until your finals are done," he said sternly, and she rolled her eyes.

"Okay, dad. I'll try not to flunk... and then... I'm gonna look into New York schools, just in case we stay. I am _so _compelling an admissions officer to take my very late application," she said excitedly, and his eyes widened. "Oh, don't even give me that look, Stefan! I'm sure you compelled your way into an Ivy League, or two."

He folded his arms, and rose his brows.

"Or, I just relied on my intelligence."

Caroline scoffed, as she grabbed her messenger bag, and gave him a lasting look.

"Yeah, well, some of use have to rely on our other talents. Excuse me, while I head home to pack everything I own. After I study, of course- seeing as _somebody _is going to threaten my life's calling if I don't pass Astronomy I."

"You'll thank me later, Caroline."

"Shut up!" she called back, as she exited the living room, and he heard the door slam behind her.

Stefan sighed, as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, and observed the rest of the room.

He was sure that the move to New York would be hectic especially with Caroline, of all people. But somehow, he felt thrilled.

_It was the first time he'd felt excited about anything, in a while._

Stefan had ultimately felt that, after his breakup with Elena, he was in desperate need of a breath of life. He needed something to consume him- to make him feel _alive, _again, and perhaps Caroline was right; maybe this was it.

_Maybe it was time for Stefan Salvatore to live again._

* * *

"So, this is cozy," Damon said when he walked into the vacant room. His hands were at his sides, as his eyes studied the bare walls, and the boxes on the ground. "Any more color, and I'd feel like you actually want me here, Judgey."

Bonnie rolled her eyes as she walked in behind him, and observed the tiny space.

"Like I said- I kinda just used it as study room, because I didn't really like the size. Hence, the computer desk, lamp, and books," Bonnie pointed out, before kneeling down to grab a box. "I think that I packed all of my stuff, so, you should be clear."

"So, you mean that I _won't _'accidentally' stumble upon any of the naughty things you have hidden in this joint?" Damon winked, and Bonnie groaned.

"Don't be a perv, Damon. I'd like to go _one day _without any of your repulsive innuendo, thanks."

Damon scoffed as he sat down at the computer desk, and spun around in the swivel chair.

"Innuendo? I don't know what you're talking, Bennett. I'd never subject you to _that._"

"Good," Bonnie snapped, as she placed the box on the table. "So, I suppose we should go over some ground rules, then, if we're gonna be roommates."

Damon stopped spinning, and placed his feet firmly on the ground, as he looked up at Bonnie's serious green eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest, and he sighed as his brows furrowed.

_"Rules? _Come again?"

"We need rules, Damon- this is my apartment-"

"_Our_ apartment," he cut in, and she pursed her lips.

"_Our _apartment," she emphasized, and he grinned. "And I just wanna make sure things run smoothly," Bonnie added, and Damon laughed as he stood to his feet.

Bonnie didn't back down as the much-taller-than-her blue-eyed vampire appeared before her, with a skeptical expression on his face, in return.

"Okay, fine," he shrugged. "Let's hear it. Keep a pail on standby, if I decided to puke from any of this," Damon said dramatically, and she cleared her throat, as she jumped right in.

"Rule number one: no walking around naked, ever. As in _ever. _I know you're used to flaunting your _whatever _in the boarding house, but this is not there. And I don't want to see that."

Damon smiled sinfully, as he stepped in closer towards her, but she didn't back down, or even flinch away.

His icy eyes seemed to warm up as he glanced at her, and just as he always did, he was invading her space, once more.

Why did he always feel the need to do that?

"My _'whatever,' _Bonnie? Really? We're adults," he stated, in a low tone. "And you know... _exactly _what it is, sweetheart."

Bonnie licked her teeth, as her arms tightened, and he continued to look into her eyes.

"Keep your clothes on, Damon. Otherwise, I'll torch them."

"I thought you didn't dabble in the _juju persuasion_, anymore?"

"I don't," she said flatly. "But that's what matches are for," she grinned, and his eyes squinted.

_"Touché."_

"Rule number two; clean up after yourself. I know you're a neatfreak, and I can't imagine you allowing anything to happen to the Persian rug you just ordered. So, I assume we'll be okay on that front," Bonnie stated, and Damon nodded. "Rule number three-whether she's for blood, or banging, or anything else- if you bring a skank home, keep her in your room. The last I want to see in the morning is Suzy No Name in my kitchen, drinking my orange juice, in your flannel t-shirt. It's gross. Oh, and keep the noise down- I may not have super hearing, but trust me; I hear enough."

Damon chuckled at that one, but Bonnie only breathed smoothly in response.

"Damon, I'm serious-"

"What makes you think I'd bring a girl home?" he asked, and her mouth dropped, as her brows scrunched.

"Are you kidding? Have you met you? My guess is that you'll bring enough _floozies _home, that I'll have adequate material to build a full calendar by the end of this _week!_" Bonnie shrieked, and Damon snorted.

"Okay, so what about you?" he challenged, and her brow rose.

"What about me?"

"What about the guys _you're _gonna bring home?" he asked, in a slick tone. "Can I set some ground rules, there? I mean- if you're telling me what I can or cannot do in the presence of my ladies, how about I give you a few suggestions about the fellas you are bound to bring around?"

Bonnie's face turned with amusement as she held her palms up, defenselessly, and smiled.

"This is hilarious, but fine- go ahead, Damon."

"Okay, well, rule number one: he has to be taller than you. I demand it. Because you're already the size of a small child, and if I have to see you with a guy who's up to my waist, I cannot guarantee that I won't step on him. And it'd be rude to squash your date," Damon suggested, and Bonnie cocked her head.

"Seriously?"

"Rule number two," Damon continued, without skipping a beat. "No neck tattoos. Or green mohawks. Or guys who wear Ed Hardy. Those are not the looks we're going for."

Bonnie laughed in disbelief, as her eyes widened.

_"We? "_

"Rule number three; he... has to treat you right," Damon said suddenly, and Bonnie's amused expression turned to one of mystification, as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, and a wave of seriousness came over him. "I... think that if you're going to be bringing anyone back here, he... should be a guy you really like. Not just some douche who said all the right things when you got drunk at Webster Hall. You're better than that, Bennett- you know it."

Bonnie remained silent as Damon's eyes seemed to be glowing with genuine sincerity, and she suddenly felt at a loss for words.

Yes, she knew that Damon cared about her- he cared enough to come and see her here in New York, obviously- but when he tossed her these subtle reminders, she still didn't know how to react.

She'd experienced the "Damon who cared" quite a few times, but it never failed to stop her cold each time he popped up, every so often. It was like a refreshing reminder- an unbelievable one, as well- that he actually gave a damn about her. And as much as she hated it, a part of her was thankful for it.

_A part of her was thankful for him._

"I-" she started and then stopped, as he brushed a loose strand behind her ear, leaving her tongue-tied. "I will be fine, Damon," Bonnie finally let out, and his eyes didn't falter. "I... don't bring guys back here; I never have. I... I'm not like that, Damon."

The vampire stared at her silently before he nodded gently.

"I know," he said softly, and she breathed evenly. "You're... one of the good ones. Always have been." Bonnie blinked calmly, and Damon cleared his throat to break the tension. "Besides... there won't be any guys in this city willing to fuck with you, once they meet your roommate. I won't hesitate to rip out a trachea, or two, if anyone gets to be a little much."

Bonnie pressed her lips.

"'A little much?' You think someone could out-do you, on that front?"

Damon smirked at that.

"Probably not. But you do have a knack for snatching up some pretty lame guys, Bonnie. I mean, if you're just using them for a hook-up, keep in mind that you _do _now live with the World's Sexiest Vampire Boytoy, and I _can _relieve you of a bit of the finals stress you're feeling. Because, ya know, that's what friends are for," he suggested, and Bonnie's expression soured.

"Okay, no. Abort. Rule number four," Bonnie began, and his expression didn't drop. "No... sexual relations between us. Ever. I don't care if you're horny, or lonely, or sad, or anything- don't climb into my bed. Don't put any moves on me. Don't even think about it. Because it's not gonna happen."

Damon glanced back; especially amused by this rule, as he seemed to close the gap between them even more.

If there was one word in Damon's vocabulary that didn't exist, it was _distance._

His fingers trailed at her jawline, and she smacked them away with a warning glance. He grinned in response.

"If it's never gonna happen, why do we even need a rule for it, Bonnie? I mean..." he said slowly, as his hand rose again, and touched the nape of her neck. "If you're so sure you don't want to screw me, why do you even have to say it? Why don't you just... _not do it?_"

Bonnie breathed frustratedly, though she didn't it show on her face.

Damon was right; if she was so positive that she wasn't going to have sex with him, anyway, why did she need a house rule to make it certain?

_Because when his stupidly brilliant blue eyes met hers in an intense glare, and her skin felt like fire the moment he touched her, she knew that she needed to have some shield against this._

_She couldn't let him make her feel like this. Not again._

"It's just so you know," she retorted, as she removed his palm, and he dropped it at his side. "I'm just making sure we're on the same page."

Damon flashed her a coy smile, as his eyes filtered through hers, and he nodded.

"Of course. I will... respect your wishes."

Bonnie swallowed hard, but didn't say a word, as she finally grabbed her box, and began making her way towards the exit. This was honestly enough Damon for one day, and if she didn't get out of this room, she was going to walk off of the Brooklyn Bridge.

As Bonnie neared the exit, she felt her heart leap into her chest when he called her name again, and she silently spun around towards him.

His eyes penetrated hers, and that raven hair looked exceptionally dark as it fell across his brow, perfectly; ensnaring her, in more ways than one. His licked his pale lips, before stuffing his hands in his leather jacket pockets, and opening his mouth to speak.

"Thank you," he said, much to her surprise, and she digested it silently. "Thanks for... taking a chance. I'll… be a 'gentleman,' or whatever, and bring the rest of these boxes in your room, if you'd like me to."

Bonnie inhaled deeply, as a million and one thoughts raced through her mind, and her arms hugged around her box.

Damon was thanking her for taking, what was, the biggest chance of her life, lately. Bonnie Bennett the Human was far different than the Witch, when it came to taking risks. Bonnie Bennett the Human, was far less reckless, and much more guarded.

The fact that he noticed and acknowledged that spoke volumes, to her. But she'd never admit that; especially not to him.

"I… would like that," she said softly, and Damon nodded in response as she made her way towards the door. "And you're welcome… Don't let me down," Bonnie added.

Damon watched as she turned on her heel, and disappeared into the hallway, without another sound.

He walked over the other box she left on the ground, and picked it up accordingly. He was about to exit the room with it, when his eyes caught sight the contents, and a soft smile appeared on his lips.

This was like this was Bonnie in a Box; everything from the C.D's she owned, to the trophies she'd won—all that she was, was tucked away in here, and now open for him to see.

He couldn't imagine that it'd hurt to know her, even more. They were roommates now, afterall.

Damon glanced at the objects in equal curiousity, snapping a mental note of it all, as he heard Bonnie's faint footsteps entering the bathroom, and shutting the door behind her.

She'd made it quite obvious; Bonnie didn't want to be let down, in any way, shape, or form.

_She should have known, then, that he'd also made it his intention to see to it that she never was, ever again._

* * *

Bonnie sat at the table in the kitchen silently, as the sound of her pencil tapping against the mahogany infiltrated the apartment.

Between the craziness of Damon moving in four days ago, starting work at the bar, again, and just life, in general, she'd almost forgotten that finals were coming up, and she was in desperate need of some study time.

Luckily enough for her, Laila so graciously volunteered to take her shift tonight—something about an apology for setting her up on that "blind date" with Damon. Bonnie thought it was a bit bizarre of the girl to offer—considering she had things to study for, too, but she decided not to look into it.

If Laila was being sneaky, that was her problem; she had International Economics to worry about. And at the rate she was going, she was going to be at this all night—she'd be lucky if she had enough time to take a break to eat.

Bonnie groaned as she shut her eyes, and ran her fingers through her hair, before glancing at her textbook, again.

She was going to fail; she knew it. And all this time in college would have been for nothing, anyway.

Bonnie breathed in deeply as she slowly became lost in her thoughts, and less focused on the text before her. If she had still been a practicing witch, college would be a breeze. She wouldn't have to study, she wouldn't stress out, and she damn sure wouldn't be worrying about making it to the end of the semester. Everything would be okay; _she _would be okay.

But when these thoughts began to cloud her mind, she always stopped. She stopped practicing for a reason; a very good one, at that, and the fact that she had gone so long without so much as a spell to turn on the lights in her apartment meant progress. She was learning how to be a human.

_She was learning how to be normal._

And as a "normal" human being, she was going to flip her shit in two minutes if Damon didn't stop singing at the _top of his lungs _in the shower, right now.

"Damon, shut up!" Bonnie called from the table, as she continued to tap her pencil, but the vampire continued on; in quite possibly the _worst _vocal range that she had ever experienced, in her life.

"_Your stare was holdin'; ripped jeans, skin was showin'. Hot night wind was blowin'—where ya think you're going, baby?—"_

"Damon, I swear to God," Bonnie started, but the volume only seemed to get louder, as her frustration continued to grow.

"_Hey, I just met you—and this is crazy—"_

"Damon, I'm trying to study; keep it down," Bonnie warned.

"_But here's my number—so, call me, maybe?"_

Bonnie slammed her pencil against the table, and rose to her feet.

As if that song hadn't _sucked _enough, now the most _obnoxious _person that she knew was singing it, in its entirety, in her _shower? _

She was pretty certain that Damon had a death wish—and almost completely positive that she never missed her powers, more. She could be giving him an aneurysm from the kitchen table, right now.

Bonnie sighed as she walked down the hallway and up to the bathroom door, where she knocked her fist against it, firmly, before folding her arms across her chest. She heard the water continuing to run, as she pursed her lips tightly.

"Damon, I know that you hear me," she prefaced, as her foot began to tap incessantly. "I need you to be a _little_ quieter, so that I can study for my final. It's kind of important that I pass, so if you don't mind, please… shut the hell up," she finished.

Bonnie remained quiet as she awaited a response, and when she heard none, she rolled her eyes, and exhaled.

Typical Damon—he just wasn't going to respond. His plan was to accuse her of being crazy when he finally did get out of the shower.

_Whatever. Just as long as it was over._

Bonnie began to walk away, when the door suddenly opened, and she shook her head as she turned around to face him.

"You've finally decided to shut up—"she started, and then stopped, immediately, as the words got caught in her throat; failing to pass from her lips.

Damon's hair was matted to his forehead, and the remnants of water were dripping from his pale skin, as he stood in the complete nude, right before her.

"Oh my God," Bonnie shrieked, as she quickly spun away from him, and pressed her palms to her eyes to forget the image, though it was quickly cementing itself further and further into the crevices of her mind. "Why are you naked?!"

"'_God?_' What'd I tell you about using my name in vain, Bonnie?"

"Seriously, Damon—"

I forgot my towel, sue me," he interrupted, with a bit of a smirk to his voice, and Bonnie breathed angrily, as she continued to look away. "I _thought _you were back in the kitchen. I was hoping my singing scared you off," he reasoned.

"Y-You're unbelievable!" she stuttered. "It's been _four _days, and you couldn't even follow the 'no nudity' rule!"

"Oh, relax, Sister Mary," Damon said sarcastically, and she heard his foot steps descend down the hallway, as she continued fuming. "It's nothing that you haven't seen before!" he added, and she shook her head in wonder at how much one being could _piss _her off, all within _five minutes._

Bonnie finally reopened her eyes and huffed when the image of Damon stark _naked _played on a constant loop, in her brain. It bothered her even more when she realized she was shaking—_literally shaking—_as her mind fleshed out the details of her very _vivid _memory.

From his chest, to his stomach—he was perfectly chiseled; like some sort of Greek God. From his broad shoulders to his strong thighs—he was flawless, naturally. And then his… _she didn't even want to remember that she had seen it._

Bonnie held a hand to her heart, and cursed under her breath when she felt the insane beating in her chest tripling, as her mind continued to race, in a flurry. She quickly walked back into the kitchen, and tried to control herself, as she picked up her books, and began to formulate a new plan.

She was going to study at the library—she had to. There was no way she was going to be able to focus with him only so many feet away, and these thoughts running through her head.

She was so busily stuffed her things into her bag, she didn't hear the sound of his footsteps enter the room; she only realized he was there once she heard his voice.

"Aw, you're leaving? Was seeing me in my birthday suit really that bad, Bonnie?"

"Yeah, it was," she shot back, though she jumped a little when his voice seeped into her ears. "I'm gonna go study at the library. At least I won't have to worry about seeing anybody's penis, there," she added, and Damon let out a laugh.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that—this _is _New York' expect the unexpected," he said in a faux mystic tone, and she rolled her eyes, but didn't respond. "Bonnie, really? Turn around and look at me," he said, after a moment, and she sucked her teeth.

"Why? Have you bedazzled yourself?" she asked in a snarky tone, and he scoffed.

"Just turn around," he said tiredly, and Bonnie bit her lip furiously, before she spun to face him, once more.

"What do you—" she started, and stopped when Damon stood before her; fully clothed, in a nice button-down shirt and jeans, holding a white envelope in hand, poised in her direction.

Bonnie eyed him in confusion, and her brows furrowed when her green eyes met his.

"What's that?" she asked shortly, and Damon cocked his head, in return.

"Open it, and you'll find out," he said, and she sighed, as she crossed her arms over herself, and shook her head.

"Why can't you just tell me what it is? I mean, it's not that hard, Damon."

"Because I like the element of surprise _so _much more," he confessed, and she shifted her stance. "Please, just open it. For me," Damon added, and she eyed him suspiciously, before finally taking the item in question out of his offering hand.

Bonnie glanced down at the envelope, and sighed.

She didn't know what to expect, honestly, but seeing that this was _Damon's _work, she probably should have been running the other way. She really wasn't in the mood for something to annoy her any more than she already was, for the night. So, as her finger slid through the tape, and she pulled out a card, she suddenly felt baffled by the words on the front of it.

_From One Friend to Another._

"Damon—"she started, and he sent her a stern expression that clearly meant that he wanted her to completely open it before even thinking about commenting.

Bonnie begrudgingly obliged, as she opened up the card, and began to read the words in cursive that Damon so plainly penned _for her._

"_Bonnie," _it started. _"I know that we've had our ups and downs—mostly downs—but I really am… happy to be around you, again. Things haven't been the same without the girl who likes to dish it out as much as I do. I know you're reluctantly excited about this, too—even if you'll never have the guts to say it. You're someone that I've hated, but also someone that I've always admired. I've never liked the fact that you felt like you needed to leave, but, I've always respected it. I hope that this token can show you that I'm serious—that I care about things other than bourbon and tasty co-eds; that I actually might care about… well, you. But don't get your hopes up—I know that this town has a bunch of sorority girls that I am so ready to snack on. Enjoy my 'token of indisposed appreciation.' Damon._"

Bonnie looked up at him, and Damon seemed to be remarkably receptive to her every move, as his eyes lingered on her, before he stuffed his hands in his pockets, nonchalantly. She wasn't sure why, but in that moment, she thought she felt something—nervousness, maybe, as he licked his teeth, and shrugged.

"Well?" he asked, and Bonnie took in a deep breath before reaching into the envelope and pulling out paper, and glancing down at it, in perplexedly. "I know you didn't ask but, I figured as long as I'm staying here, I can pay rent. I don't want to be a leech.

Bonnie gasped when she looked at the amount on the check, and her eyes widened immediately when she looked up at him.

"W-What? Damon, no. I-I cannot take that—this is… a _ridiculous_ amount of money. That's more than what I pay for a _year_!" she exclaimed, and he scoffed. "It's more than what I'll pay in _five _years!"

"What's your point, Bennett?"

"The point is… that I didn't ask you to move in with me because I needed extra cash. I can pay for my own rent; I have been. Working at the bar pays my bills just fine. I make good money—"

"But are you happy?" he asked suddenly, and Bonnie suddenly grew silent. "Because I don't think that you are. And I don't think that all these classes you're taking make you happy, either. International Economics? U.S Foreign Policy? It's not what you're interested in, Bonnie," he said bluntly, and she snorted.

"So you think paying me off is going to make me happier? It's _college, _Damon! I'm supposed to be doing what I need to do—"

"You're supposed to be doing what you love," he cut in, and she bit her lip. "And if paying for your apartment, and allowing you to live _comfortably _for a _really_ long time is what I have to make you see that, then so be it. You came here to follow your dreams, didn't you? You don't have any excuse not to be; at least not while I'm around. Take the money; I mean it."

Bonnie inhaled softly as she glanced at the check, and gulped.

Honestly? She'd never seen that many zeroes in her entire life; she never thought she would, either. She came from a family that was very financially secure—her father had a great job, and so did her Grams—but she by, no means, ever thought _this _would be in the cards, for her. She was in college—and being in college meant working the night shift, and eating Ramen noodles.

She wasn't sure she knew how to do anything else, at this point.

_But could she? If it meant that she'd have the time to finally pursue other things—things she actually wanted to do? Things that didn't involve taking finance or accounting, just because that's what everyone expected of her? Things that meant that Bonnie Bennett could be a little more care-free, for once?_

"I can't force you to do this—and I won't," Damon said softly, as her eyes looked up to meet his. "But what the hell would be my purpose, here, if I didn't challenge you to do _more, _Bonnie? Isn't that what we've always done; challenged each other?"

Bonnie sighed at that simple truth—Damon did always challenge her.

"I—I don't even know what I wanna do with my life, Damon," she said gently, as she looked down at the check. "I… have dreams, and stuff, but… they're stupid, Damon—I know that. I don't think I'll ever accomplish them," she said honestly, and his brows furrowed. "Just, no. No, no, no. This is how it starts, Damon—I can't let it start."

"Let what start?"

"You doing all of these things for me!" she yelled, as she exclaimed, as he remained quiet. "You just… taking care of me, and me becoming so dependent on it, that I can't see straight! Do you know how long it took to get to this place, Damon? Where I can actually just do things for myself, again? Where I don't need you there, holding my hand, every step of the way? I don't _need _anyone to take care of me. I don't _want _that—"

"But you need someone, Bonnie," he interrupted, as he stood right before her. "You need someone who cares enough about _you _to wanna take care of you, sometimes. You've spent your entire life taking care of other people, Bonnie—your friends, especially. When are you gonna let a _friend _take care of you? Because, I'm sorry, but whether you like it or not—I'm not leaving," he said firmly. "I am here to be annoying as_ hell. _I am here to push you to make those tough decisions you don't think you can make—not the safe ones. I'm here to make you realize, Bonnie, that you're worth _so _much more than what you settle for; _so much more. _Because that's what friends do—that's all that friends do."

Bonnie blinked silently, as she tucked a strand behind her ear, and contemplated her choices. Whether she wanted to admit it, Damon was right—she'd become so complacent in the mundane details of her new life, that she was doing exactly what she had been, in her old one.

She was playing it safe—she was settling for much less than she deserved.

_She was too afraid to shake things up, again, for fear that they would go terribly wrong, as they had, once before._

But that wasn't living life—that was living on the outskirts of it, and hadn't she come all the way here to find herself? She wanted so desperately to find herself.

Bonnie tapped her foot, and shook her head, in disbelief.

"I'm gonna regret this. I will."

"Then do that, Bonnie. Regret it, all you want. But at least you'll have something to regret—at least you'll have proof that you took a chance."

Bonnie ran her fingers through her hair, at that.

"I—I'll take it," she said slowly, and Damon's eyes seemed to illuminate with a bout of hope, as her normally strong voice came out perpetually shaken. "I will… take it. And I know it won't make a huge dent but you seriously have to cut this amount in _half, _Damon—"

"Fine," he replied, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "Whatever makes you feel more… comfortable," he added, and she nodded in agreement. "But for now… Let's go out and celebrate you getting over your pride."

Bonnie scoffed, and shook her head.

"Let's not. Just because I'm doing this doesn't mean I'm dropping out of NYU. I still need to pass my finals to pass my classes, and right now, I am _super _stressed."

"Well, I know a good stress reliever," Damon replied, as he wiggled his brows, and she sneered. "Seriously, I do."

Before Bonnie could say another word, he pulled two tickets out of his pocket, and held them in the air, as she stared at him with a puzzled expression on her face. "A little birdie told me that you could use the night off tonight from _everything. _Work and school, included," he winked, and Bonnie groaned.

_Laila struck, again._

"Did that little birdie also tell you that I was going to kick her ass for setting me up, again?" Bonnie asked, and Damon laughed lightly.

"Yes, the birdie did say that," he confirmed, and she nodded. "What she didn't tell me, though, was that your favorite band is playing at Irving, tonight.," he said coyly, and Bonnie's mouth dropped as she stared at him.

She snatched the tickets out of his hand, and read the name printed across the front.

_The Script._

"How'd you know? H-How did you get those? They're sold out."

"Well, I did that little 'eye thing' that I do when I want something, and voila—two tickets, just like that. But the part about knowing you like their music, I… may have looked in that box that I was supposed to bring to your room a few days ago. You're a little bit of a fangirl, Bennett."

"Damon—"

"So, what do you say? Me and you— moshpit, tonight? I know you wanna," he winked, and Bonnie groaned, as he tapped his foot expectantly.

"I really need to study—"

"I will help you study. Tomorrow. When your favorite band isn't playing an epic concert a taxi ride away from our apartment."

His blue eyes were shining so brightly, that she wasn't even sure how she had been resisting, at all. Just the fact that she saw so much _warmth _in them was enough to overwhelm her.

It was also enough to change her mind.

"Okay," she said, and Damon's grin grew. "When do I need to be ready by?"

Damon looked at his watch, and whistled.

"Ten minutes ago. I didn't expect that 'take my money and live your dreams' conversation to last so long. I almost had us running on a tight schedule. I should have anticipated that you'd be oh-so-difficult."

Bonnie felt a crack of a smile form at her lips, but she hid it expertly, as she began to walk out of the kitchen, quickly.

She really didn't need to be letting him see that he could make her smile so easily. She'd get herself in a lot of trouble, if she did.

"If I don't make you work for it, Damon, who will?" she asked, as she walked off to her bedroom to get ready, and he sighed, as he realized he didn't have a response for that.

_That was a really great question, actually. And he was beginning to run out of answers._

But one thing was certain, and it was this—he planned on showing Bonnie the best night of her life. He could only hope that she was prepared for it.

_He prayed that he was prepared for it, as well._

A/N: Hello, everyone! So I hope you all enjoyed this new chapter as much as I loved writing it. We finally got a peek into Stefan & Caroline's lives back in Virginia, as well as Bonnie and Damon starting off as roommates. I promise, there are much more good times to come. ;) What did you think about Caroline's decision to sway Stefan into coming to NY? Also Bonnie's rules and Damon already breaking one? And what about his take on Bonnie's life, and her happiness? Do you think that he was right? And what do you think about the upcoming concert? Can we classify this as a date? Anyway, I love it when you guys review and give me feedback. It's deff motivation, so thank you for your thoughts so far! Love you all very much. Xoxo


	5. I'm Yours

**I'm Yours**

"_How's the concert?"_

Bonnie glanced down at the screen on her phone, and read the text message from Laila before sighing, and composing a response. Her best friend struck again, when it came to getting her alone and out with Damon, and she was starting to realize that Laila absolutely enjoyed this.

She couldn't say that she blamed her.

In all of her time in NYC, Laila had never really seen her take an interest in anyone—she often called her an asexual amoeba because of it. But now—now that Damon was here, Laila was convinced that she saw something between them. A "spark," as she called it, that was "undeniable and unbelievable," in Laila's eyes.

Bonnie hated how invested she was beginning to feel in this.

Bonnie hadn't said a word to her about she and Damon's past, or about the way she felt for him currently—it was still a mystery. But Laila never failed to tease her about it. She was absolutely convinced that there was something more between the two.

Bonnie told her that she was a raging lunatic. Bonnie also should have told her that she was a liar.

"_Still waiting. But did I ever tell you how much I hate you? Like, I really, really hate you."_

Bonnie huffed after she hit the send button, and tucked a strand of her long wavy hair behind her ear.

She didn't know why, but she decided she wanted to look "pretty" tonight, as she tried out her new ruby red M.A.C lipstick, that coupled perfectly with olive eyes, and her subtle liner.

When she walked out of her bedroom, Damon couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her.

The black jeans, rose colored pumps, and pretty, beige, Victorian style shirt—she felt extremely overdressed, to be honest. This was her main problem because she hung out with Laila. She'd nearly replaced everything that she had in her closet with clothes she thought were better suited for Bonnie; Laila had made it clear that she hated everything earth-tone. So now, Bonnie felt like she was at fashion week each and every time she left the house. It was exhausting.

She wanted to change—he told her she shouldn't. So, she didn't.

Bonnie jumped out of her thoughts as her phone buzzed again, and she read the words from her best friend.

"_Don't be so dramatic, Bon. It was all Damon's idea, anyway. I just… went with it. You'll thank me later for helping him make this date happen."_

Bonnie almost choked on the air she was breathing, as she shook her head, and her eyes widened.

_Date? Since when was this a date?_

She didn't have time to scold Laila for her terminology, for Damon was right beside her at the bar, handing her a shot of Jameson in one hand, and a Guinness Extra Stout, in the other.

She raised a brow at him.

"Are you trying to make me grow some chest hair, or…?" she asked, and Damon let out a short laugh before clinking his shot glass with hers.

The twinkle in his blue eyes was impeccable.

"I'm trying to make you a badass," he said bluntly, and Bonnie scoffed. "You see all these girls drinking margaritas, and moscato, and all that other lame shit? Not you. You are going to drink like a champion because you hang out with me. And I am awesome," Damon stated fiercely, and Bonnie's head cocked.

"You act like I don't work in a bar, Damon."

"You don't—not for much longer, anyway," he noted, and she sighed. "Drink up, darling. Can't waste any alcohol."

Bonnie nodded in absolution, and took the shot of whisky to her lips, easily, chasing it with the Guinness right after.

If there had been one right thing about him, it was that she was one of those girls who steered more towards the sweet drinks rather than going hard. She'd just never thought she had it in her to do so. But it was clear that Damon believed it, so—she'd let him be right. Just this once.

Bonnie sipped on her beer as he ordered two more shots, and leaned against the bar. She couldn't help but feel herself staring at him, as his deep raven hair flopped over his brow, and his skin shone a little more brightly, amid the neon lights infiltrating the venue.

She looked around, and noticed that _every _girl within a 100 foot radius was staring at him, actually. Blonde, brunette, short, tall, anything—they were all giggling in his direction, and looking him up and down, like he was a fucking piece of meat.

Damon, of course, enjoyed it. He didn't mind being admired—especially if it were by a bunch of beautiful women. His eyes were only on Bonnie's though, as she looked back at him, in somewhat of an annoyed tone that he was attracting so much attention.

She gulped down a few more swallows when she realized that she'd been staring at him for an uncontested minute. It was time to look away, now.

Damon noticed the tenseness in her stare, and he immediately knew that there was something on her mind. Lucky for her, he was never the one to hold things back.

"Something wrong, Judgy?" he finally asked, as he handed her another shot, and Bonnie sniffed before taking it back, and placing it on the counter.

"I just… I have a burning question," she said, much to his surprise, and Damon pursed his lips as he gazed at her.

"You're wondering if I can compel all of these girls to stop drooling over me," he stated. "The answer is _no…_"

"Don't be an ass," she replied, and he smirked.

"Well, now that _that's _out of the way… Take the floor, then, I am all ears."

"This isn't a date, is it?" she asked sharply, and Damon's eyes widened. "Because I'm just getting used to you being my roommate, now, and all that horrible singing of yours when you're in the shower, and school, and working or not working, and my life is just… it's chaos, Damon."

"I know, Bonnie—I live with you now. I know that your life is 'chaos'."

"So, why did you do this? What's the real reason?" she questioned.

"What is your damage? Why do you think there's some conspiracy going on right now?"

"Because Laila called it a 'date,' and I just needed to know if you called it a date, too."

"I didn't call it a date," he interrupted, and Bonnie shut her lips. "And… I did this because, as you said, your life is chaotic. And… I wanted there to be a little less chaos, and a lot more fun. Sue me, Bonnie."

"I'm sorry, I just—"

"Don't say anymore," he interrupted, and Bonnie licked her teeth. "We're roomies, okay? This is what roomies do. They go out, drink, have a blast, and try to recollect the pieces of their lives the next morning over eggs and coffee. We don't have to make this so dramatic… even though I know drama is kind of your thing," he joked, as he ruffled her hair, and Bonnie scoffed at that.

He was right—she hadn't had anything nice, drama-free, or fun in a very long time. Could he really blame her for thinking that something so good could turn out so bad?

"I appreciate that, Damon… I do," Bonnie admitted, and he continued to listen, as she breathed deeply to find the words to say. "This was really nice of you—because, you know, you can be a pretty big dick sometimes."

Damon stood there silently, with his mouth dropped a bit, but he couldn't find the words to say. Bonnie's hands were crossed over her chest, and she was tapping her foot in that annoyingly adorable but completely bitchtastic way that she did, and he couldn't help but let a smile course over his lips, in that very moment.

"F.Y.I- My singing is _not _that bad," he said, and she snorted.

"You're kidding, right? You sound like a dying whale. How do you even know the words to _Call Me, Maybe? _Was it on a Kidz Bop album at one of your girlfriend's houses? I know you like 'em young."

Damon let out a laugh before he sighed, and crossed his arms.

"Exhibit A of why this is not a date; you're rude and you hate Carly Rae Jepsen. That is not okay," he stated, and she flashed a grin. "Besides, I don't really _do _dates, Bonnie. I just… wanted to see my roommate smile, for once. And maybe make it up to her, since she thinks I'm a tone deaf dick, and all."

Bonnie, this time, felt a smile form at her lips, though she was trying her best to hide it. She hated that he could make her grin and laugh so easily—the last thing that she needed him to know was that he was so capable of, too.

But she just couldn't help it—he was annoying, and overbearing, and really obnoxious. But every time she looked at Damon—even _thought _about him—her mind began to take a toll on her; it constantly reminded her of the way that things were once upon a time, and she'd be lying if she said she never wanted that, again.

_She'd be lying if she said a little part of her didn't still want him, too._

"A tone deaf, insufferable, dick, with the worst asshole tendencies I have ever seen. What a gratuitous picture of yourself," she said, and Damon laughed, as he took another sip of his drink.

"I didn't say anything about being insufferable or an asshole."

"Gee, I guess I must have misheard you, then," Bonnie smirked, and Damon pressed his lips before picking up the next two shots that the bartender prepared for them.

His advice to "Sabrina" had been to just keep the drinks coming. Even with a packed audience to attend to, she had been doing a superb job—Damon felt pretty warm and fuzzy already.

When the show actually started, Bonnie felt a smile plastered on her face, as she watched the band performing, and everyone nodding and swaying in rhythm with the music. It felt euphoric, actually, to let go of all the things she was worried about, just for one night, as she listened to great music, and spent her time with good company.

_She also realized she was really, really drunk when she started considering Damon "good company."_

This always happened when she was with him—she went from wanting to hit him, to laughing at every single thing that he said. They were so different, yet so similar, sometimes, that it hurt. She hated that he knew her better than she knew herself. She hated, even more, that she wanted him to know her, this well.

_She wanted him to know everything._

She was lost in her own world, listening to the sounds of the music, as it passed through her, when Damon leaned in to her ear, and whispered softly.

"Let's move up."

Bonnie nodded softly, as she felt herself dazedly grasp onto Damon's wrist. With his guidance, they floated through the crowd, garnering the stares of all fifty of his admirers, until they were much closer, just in time for another song.

"Better?" he asked, as he stood beside her, and she finally got a view of the full stage; breathing in the full effect.

"Much better," she whispered, and he didn't say a word as they focused their eyes, once more, ahead.

There was always something that Bonnie loved about live music. She didn't know if it was the chords, the intimacy, or just the experience as a whole, but she always liked hearing the songs she listened to in her car, or in her room, in person. It was the most perfect gift that Damon could have gotten her—she was still a bit in awe that he put so much thought into this, to begin with.

"I guess I should say thanks, now, right?" Bonnie asked softly, as she turned to face him, and the vampire looked down to her. "Because… this is actually pretty cool. And I guess it's not so bad that I have to be here with you."

Damon bit his lip, and he looked to her, and then back to the stage, as the music went on.

"Don't make me blush, Bennett."

"I can't make you blush," she replied plainly, and Damon peered into her eyes, with deep concentration.

So deep, her knees almost buckled, just with one glance. She honestly wanted to slap him for looking at her the way he did.

Why did he always have to do that?

"You can make me blush," he confessed, and Bonnie shook her head, as she looked back to the stage, and began to listen to the song.

"_You touch these tired eyes of mine  
And map my face out line by line  
And somehow growing old feels fine  
I listen close for I'm not smart  
You wrap your thoughts in works of art  
And they're hanging on the walls of my heart"_

He slowly moved his hand next to hers, and Bonnie felt a chill run up her spine, but she didn't move.

She felt pretty paralyzed, actually, when his skin grazed her thumb. His fingers slowly intertwined with hers, and Bonnie almost gasped at the sudden _closeness _that occurred when they tightened around hers.

Damon Salvatore was holding her hand, in the middle of a concert, and she hadn't slapped him yet.

What the hell was happening, right now?

"_You healed these scars over time  
Embraced my soul  
You loved my mind  
You're the only angel in my life  
The day news came my best friend died  
My knees went weak and you saw me cry  
Say I'm still the soldier in your eyes"_

Her heart was beating—much faster than she would have liked—and her stomach suddenly filled with a flurry of butterflies, too. But it slowly began to fade, and she began to breathe normally, as she slowly embraced the feeling of his hand in hers. Bonnie gulped once more, as she looked up at Damon, and he was smiling, though, not looking directly at her.

She bit back her own grin when she realized he was lightly singing along to the words of the song—the one that just so happened to be her favorite.

And somehow, she believed that he knew that.

"_I may not have the softest touch  
I may not say the words as such  
And though I may not look like much  
I'm yours  
And though my edges may be rough  
I never feel I'm quite enough  
It may not seem like very much  
But I'm yours"_

She wasn't willing to come clean to it, but if she were truthful—he didn't sound half bad.

_But Bonnie Bennett was going to keep that completely to herself._

* * *

"I shouldn't have worn these shoes," Bonnie said drunkenly, as she and Damon walked down the street. "Why did you let me leave the apartment with these on?"

It was just after the end of the concert, and the two decided that it was time to call it a night for various reasons. Besides the fact that Bonnie's feet were killing her, they were probably way too drunk to get in anywhere at this hour, anyway.

She was stumbling, and he was just plain dizzy—maybe one of them should have taken on the role of the Sober Chaperone, he presumed.

_Actually, fuck that, he thought._

They had fun tonight, just like he expected, and he wouldn't have changed a thing. Not even the fact that Bonnie was whining like a brat, right now. This side of her was absolutely hilarious.

"We only have to walk a block or so, more, to catch a cab. You'll be alright, Bennett," Damon said encouragingly, and Bonnie snorted as she stopped in her tracks on the sidewalk. "What?"

"I can't make it another step in these shoes. I'll collapse," she slurred, and Damon cocked his head, as she lazily brushed her curls back with her hand.

"What, do you want me to carry you?" he asked sarcastically, and Bonnie's eyes widened, as a smirk filed onto her face. "Bonnie, seriously? No, no, and no."

"Oh, come on, Damon," she moaned, as she trudged on next to him and he waved a hand at her to dismiss the idea. "I thought we were _friends_—isn't that what _friends_ do?" she asked rhetorically, and he sighed.

Sober Bonnie never would have asked for this—Sober Bonnie would probably smack him for even laying a hand on her. However, he was dealing with Drunk Bonnie—or as he liked to call her—_Troublesome Bonnie. _On a normal day, this girl was such a fucking goody-two shoes, he couldn't pay her to pull her own head out of her super moralistic and completely hypercritical ass. She was fussy, and nit-picky, and a perfectionist. She was probably the most bothersome person that he ever lived with.

So, it only made sense that her drunken alter ego was the complete opposite. When she was drunk, she laughed a little louder, smiled a bit more, and instantly became a bit of a free bird. Drunk Bonnie didn't have any issue talking to the strangers that walked passed them, or being extremely open with her questions, answers, concerns, and statements for Damon.

He didn't know if he'd make it another block, though, if he had to listen to her as she continued her list as to why he should carry her, the rest of the way.

"I'm drunk too, Bon. What if I drop you?" he asked, and Bonnie snickered as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Then that makes you the most feeble vampire that I ever knew," she taunted, and Damon sneered. "Congratulations! Stefan's bunny blood diet is better than yours," she teased. "He beats you at everything, doesn't he?"

"Okay, that's it."

Bonnie suddenly yelped as she felt herself swooped into Damon's strong arms, and she squealed as he placed her over his shoulder with ease, and began to continue down the street.

When she was squirming, laughing, and punching his arm the whole way—no doubt, people were staring. But she didn't care—she didn't give a shit what anybody else thought about her, right now.

She was too drunk to be bothered with opinions, as well. The only one that mattered right now, was her own. And in her opinion? This was fun.

Damon finally caught a taxi, and she groaned when he flung the door open, and tossed her in. Damon slid into the seat next to Bonnie, as she rubbed her head in frustration.

"Were you trying to give me a concussion?" she asked sharply, and he sent her a faux pout, as he leaned back into his seat.

"Oh, shut up. You are _not _that delicate. You took on an Original, for Christ's sakes. You really expect me to believe that I just now hurt you?" he asked, and Bonnie sat up, and faced him.

"I'm a lady, not a linebacker," she replied, and he turned to glance at her with serious eyes that locked on hers, in a heart stopping. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Because you hair is a mess," he noted, and she shook her head. "Here—I got it."

Damon's hand smoothed back her perfect waves, fixed her up quietly, as she slowly felt herself drowning in his eyes.

"You're making it worse," she mumbled, and Damon dropped his hand with frustration.

"Show me how to fix it, then," he commanded, and Bonnie tucked her loose strands behind her ears, as his eyes continued to follow hers.

"It's simple," she said, as she rose a hand to his dark, ruffled hair, and began to tame it. "You just… have to be gentle."

Bonnie suddenly felt Damon grab her wrist, and she sat frozen, as his fingers raised to her face, and trailed along her jaw. Bonnie blinked silently, as that pesky heartbeat of hers started up, again, and Damon licked his lips softly.

"Gentle," he whispered, and Bonnie nodded, as the heat of her skin multiplied beneath his touch. "Like that?"

She didn't have enough air left in her lungs to formulate a response.

She didn't exactly know what was happening, or why, but she couldn't take her eyes off of him, again. He was clearly captivated by her too, as his fingers yet to drop from her cheek bones, and he was only moving in closer towards her.

She wanted to say something—_anything. _

She wanted to tell him to stop making her feel the way that he did, because it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair, at all, that she still cared about him, and they were still having moments like these when that time for them should have been over.

It wasn't fair that she'd spent the last year in search of someone, but no one made her feel even remotely close to the way that he did. No one.

It was extremely ridiculous that he'd been here for not even a week, and she was already faltering, when it came to him. Just like that, he was able to permeate through her soul, again, and just like this, he was able to make her question each and every rule that she set for herself, going forward.

25% of this was being drunk. The rest was all her. And she was mortified by that.

"Damon," she started, but his index finger landed on her lip, and she immediately stopped talking.

_Sadly, that was all it took._

She breathed in a deep sigh when she felt his lips press to her cheek, and plant a soft kiss against her skin. Next, the crook of her neck, and his palm press firmly down on her thigh. Her eyes shut, almost immediately when his kisses traveled up to her ear, and she struggled to exhale as his tongue moved along her skin. It really didn't help that his hand was inching slowly, but further, up her jeans.

Bonnie's arms wrapped around his shoulders, and within seconds, she was all over him. She was, specifically, in his lap, breathing like it was the first time she'd felt her lungs, and gasping as if she were a virgin when it came to air.

Damon's hand gripped around her hips, and she dragged her fingers through his messy hair, with each touch. She let out a short moan when he unbuttoned the top of her shirt, and proceeded to make his way down, with no hesitation at all.

It was escalating, way too quickly—it definitely was. But she didn't even make a move to stop it.

_And she couldn't stop it. She couldn't stop anything, in this very moment._

But thank goodness someone else did.

"We're here," Bonnie heard, and her eyes shot open, as she looked in the rear view mirror at the taxi driver who was obviously less than pleased that she and Damon were basically acting like horny, godless, sex animals in his back seat.

_It was safe to say he did not appreciate the superfluous amounts of affection. Or her bra now visible through her open shirt._

She quickly re-buttoned herself, and Damon wiped his mouth with the back of his hand silently.

She didn't even want to know what was going through his mind right now.

"Thanks!" Bonnie called, as she pushed Damon out of her way, and got out of the cab; still hobbling in these stupid shoes, all the while.

She nearly slammed the door on him as she got out, and headed for the front door of the apartment building. Damon finished paying and was after her, too, in what seemed like a mad dash to their floor.

She couldn't look at him—she refused to, actually, as she opened their door with her key, and nonchalantly left it open for him, behind her.

Bonnie was already on the way to her bedroom when Damon walked in, and she sighed because she knew what was coming.

She already knew that he was going to make her answer for this; he was going to force her to come clean about her reasons for not pushing him away in the taxi, and for letting all of that second base kind-of-touching happen.

She hated that she was going to have to explain that she didn't have an answer for him; that she was just confused, and buzzed, and being stupid—that she didn't push him away because she was incapable of doing so, and she didn't want to.

_Because she had her reasons for wanting to be kissed and touched and wanted—because it'd been a really, really long time._

But much to her surprise, she made it to her room, without a word from him.

No lecture, no questions, and no awkward statements. In fact, she made it into bed without him saying so much as a word to her, and she couldn't help but sigh with relief at that.

Damon wasn't going to chastise her for this one, and she couldn't have been more thankful.

At this point, she just wanted to sleep, and when she heard his door slam shut a few moments later, she realized, so did he.

_Maybe they both just needed to sleep this off. Maybe they both just needed to forget that it happened, as well._

* * *

"_Rise and shine, Bennett."_

Bonnie moaned uncomfortably, as she pulled her comforter over her head, and pressed her eyes even tighter to block out the oncoming rays of sun from her open window.

"It's too early," complained, her mouth muffled by her pillow. "I need more rest."

"Too bad," Laila said sharply, as she ripped the blanket off again, and Bonnie groaned. "It's one o'clock in the afternoon. I'd say it's about time you get your lazy ass out of bed."

Bonnie's eyes opened, barely—but just enough to send Laila a death stare, as the brunette smiled happily. She was way too hungover for this.

"How did you even get in here?" Bonnie asked tiredly, as she sat up in bed, and rubbed her throbbing forehead. "What, are you and Damon best friends, now?"

Laila rolled her eyes at that, and inspected her freshly manicured fingernails.

"No, but it looks like _you _two are. He left you a continental breakfast, Advil, and a note on the kitchen table before he went out. I ate a muffin, and tried so desperately hard not to read the letter," Laila said, as she handed it over to Bonnie. "I behaved myself."

Bonnie sighed, and her fingers shook a little as she opened the plain loose leaf paper, and glanced at the words scribbled in cursive.

_"Bonnie- went out for a while, hope you're not mad I didn't stick around to help you study. Marked all the pages in your textbook that are need to know, and left a few flashcards on your dresser. Good luck- Damon." _she read aloud.

Laila's brows rose as she stood to her feet, and pranced over to the dresser. She picked up a stack of index cards, and waved them in surprise.

"Wow. He _really _did make you flashcards," Laila said in amusement, as she flipped through them. "And these are _good-"_

"I don't get it," Bonnie interrupted, and Laila looked up at her. "Why would he just leave?" she wondered aloud, and her best friend leaned against her furniture.

"He went out for 'a while,' Bonnie. He's a guy, hon. No need to call in an Amber Alert. I'm sure he's fine," Laila replied, and Bonnie looked down at her lap. "... Unless he's not?" she asked curiously, as she folded her arms. "Did something happen between you two?"

Bonnie breathed heavily as she shook her head, and curled her knees to her chest. She didn't want to go through this, again.

She was drained, and the life that this conversation would take out of her would be unimaginable.

"Laila, I don't wanna talk about it-"

"Newsflash, you never wanna talk about it," the girl shot back. "I don't know how long you think you can hide this from me, but I'm here to tell you that it's story time. I wanna know everything that's happened with Damon, Bonnie. I've been patient. It's time. Are we really best friends, or not?"

Bonnie blinked softly, and leaned back in bed, as she looked up at the ceiling.

"I just- I don't think you'll understand."

"Bonnie," Laila begin, as she sat down on her bed beside her, and looked into her eyes. "I tutored you in astrophysics. I think I can make some sense of this thing you have going on with your ridiculously good-looking roommate."

Bonnie cracked her knuckles, and sighed nervously. It'd been a while since she completely delved right into this, so she figured she should at least begin the story with some kind of a preamble.

"Damon and I... have history."

"Obviously. Go on," Laila stated, and Bonnie inhaled.

"He... was there for me, when I went through a really rough time; figuring myself out, and just trying to get myself back to normal. I... did some pretty bad things, Laila. But he was one of the only people who didn't turn their backs on me. He... He helped me, so much. I was with someone, who was really toxic and manipulative and Damon showed me that I was better than that. He gave me the courage to just... let go."

Laila smiled softly at Bonnie's words as she listened, and leaned on her palm.

"So, he got you out of a really bad relationship, and he was your friend. That's nothing to be ashamed of, Bon. He was there for you and clearly, he still wants to be."

Bonnie gulped as she looked at her lap and shook her head.

"I can't let him do that, Laila."

"Why? What's so wrong with it? He's obviously really good at it-"

"Too good," Bonnie cut in. "He just... he does this thing where he gets emotionally invested in something, and it's _all _he's about. I became... his _project, _Laila- the things that he was so intent on fixing, no matter how many times I hurt him, and I-I can't do that to him, again. I can't let him fix me; I don't want to hurt him, again."

"Hurt him, how?" Laila asked, as she finally laid on a pillow, and looked into Bonnie's eyes. "He's got some pretty thick skin, Bon."

"He's not as tough as you think," Bonnie said, and Laila frowned. "He just... he doesn't show when he's hurt, sometimes. He does this- he disappears, for a while, and he comes back, like it never happened. Or... he lashes out. In a really bad way."

Laila breathed against the pillow, and blinked softly as she digested Bonnie's words, before answering, again.

"What'd you do to hurt him?"

"Last night?"

"And before that?"

Bonnie shifted uncomfortably, and ran her fingers through her messy hair. This was the part that she had the toughest time coming to terms with, because it was definitely the most hurtful. She could only hope that Laila didn't think she was a complete monster after she told her.

She hoped Laila would be able to see past that.

"I told him I wanted to be with him," Bonnie said, and Laila's eyes narrowed. "And it was... the most _selfish _thing I have ever done, in my entire life. Because... I knew that I wasn't ready. I knew that... I had issues- things wrong with me that he couldn't fix- but I didn't care. I wanted him to be there for me, and he was. He completely was."

Laila remained quiet as tears seemed to fill Bonnie's eyes, and she looked down. Her heart began to crumble when one finally slid one Bonnie's cheek.

"I told him that... I loved him, Laila. And I didn't mean it- I _never _meant it."

Laila pursed her lips, and clutched the pillow tighter.

"So why did you say it, if you didn't mean it?"

"Because I didn't want to be alone," Bonnie confessed. "And... I knew that it was the one thing I could say to keep him. I knew how much that meant to him- to be someone's first love, so I said that I did. I said that I loved him and... it wasn't long before I felt so guilty about it that I left him. I came to New York because I couldn't face this person I'd become. I wasn't the same to my friends; I lied to him. I pushed them all out."

Laila blinked back a few tears of her own, and brushed her thumb against Bonnie's cheeks as she struggled to hold the stream back.

"We all mess up, sometimes, Bonnie. But he's here-he's here because he wants to make it work. He loves you, and with time, I'm sure you'll open up to loving him, too."

"I don't want to waste his time-"

"Love is never a waste of time," Laila said softly. "Love is always worth the pain and the struggle that we go through. Anything that's worth it never comes easy. You know that, right?" Bonnie nodded as she sniffled, and Laila wrapped her arms around her shoulders protectively. "I don't think you're a bad person, Bonnie- and I don't believe you ever were. You just... you lost yourself, at some point- we all do. And it's okay; _you're gonna be okay._"

Bonnie's head settled against Laila's chest, and she struggled to hold back the sobs that threatened to escape her lips.

The mixture of her hangover, headache, and tears were making her dizzy. She couldn't stand to think about this any longer. She needed to make sure that he was okay.

Bonnie leaned over to her end table and grabbed her cell phone, and Laila sat up with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Bon—"

"I just wanna make sure he's okay," Bonnie said plainly, as her olive eyes shone. "It's the least I can do after last night," she began, and Laila sighed as Bonnie typed a message.

Bonnie's guilt was probably the one thing that would drown her, one of these days. Laila could only hope that she'd be there, with a life preserver to save her, when it happened.

* * *

Bonnie stared up the ceiling in her bedroom—counting the barely visible dots of splattered paint that caught her eyes, as she attempted to drift away into bliss.

It'd been hours, and she didn't exactly move from this spot to do anything other than shower, eat, and study, though her mind felt too burned out to even function.

Laila had left for work, and Damon hadn't answered any of her messages, meaning she was completely alone, with her thoughts, and her psychosis. She'd taken extra herbs today, just for good measure, and attempted to distract herself with anything that didn't involve the pathetic details of her life.

But she failed—she always failed.

Bonnie heard the front door open, and she shot up in her seat when she realized that the loneliness finally over; she could breathe easily, as well, knew that he was okay.

_He just hated her, was all. And that was fine, for now._

"Damon?" she called from her bed, and she stepped out, slowly, onto the wooden floors.

He was in her doorway, even before she could leave the room, and she breathed a sigh of relief when his eyes met hers in a soft way that made her heart skip unnaturally. She imagined he'd heard it, because he seemed to cock his head curiously; as though he were listening.

She cleared her throat, and she shifted towards him, as his blue eyes remained on her.

"I'm… glad you didn't leave," she said gently, and Damon sighed as he leaned against the doorway, and shook his head.

"I wouldn't do that, Bonnie," he said, and she felt her heart warm with those words.

"About last night," she started, and he raised a hand to stop her, and she halted.

"We were drunk, and touchy," he acknowledged, and she nodded quietly. "It happens all the time on _90210. _If you're not worried about it, neither am I. Okay, roomie?"

Bonnie exhaled longingly, and sent him a glance to confirm her agreement.

"Yeah—it was… nothing," she replied, and Damon sent her a wordless, fleeting look.

If he was going to put it behind him, so would she. Bygones could be bygones, as far as she was concerned.

"You watch _90210?_" she asked, and Damon snorted.

"I saw an episode. Sue me."

Bonnie smiled, and he did as well. It definitely broke the tension.

"Thanks for the stuff you left to help me study," Bonnie spoke up, and Damon stuffed his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket.

"Was it helpful?" he asked, and she shrugged softly.

"If I don't fail my final, then, yes," she said, and he cracked a gentle smile at that before looking at his watch.

"Do you want to hit the books tonight? It's not quite past your bed time, yet," he teased, and Bonnie scoffed at that.

"I could be asking the same thing about you. _Matlock _ended hours ago," she shot back, and Damon sent her a pout, as he pressed his hand to her heart.

"Ouch, Bennett. You toddlers get ruder and ruder, with each day," he said, and she bit her lip as she grabbed her textbook, and index cards, and followed him down the corridor, towards the living room.

"You asked for it, Grandpa," she said lightly, and stopped in her tracks when they walked into the living room, and she was greeted with the faces of two very familiar people she hadn't seen since she made her great escape from Mystic Falls.

"I know I offered to help you study—but I was hoping it could wait," Damon said softly, and Bonnie felt absolutely breathless as she looked between the visitors standing just before her.

She thought she'd been floored when she saw Damon, again—but them? She never expected them to come here.

_She honestly didn't believe that they still cared._

"Stefan… Caroline?" Bonnie breathed softly, and Stefan remained still, as Caroline's eyes seemed to fill with tears, and the girl nodded quickly before embracing her tightly into her arms.

"Bonnie—I've missed you, so much."

**A/N: Hello, everyone! So I am trying to be a little quicker with my updates because I know how super annoying it can be to wait forever just to find out what's happening in a story. This chapter was a little bit shorter than usual, but it's because I didn't want to pack too much into it, just yet. There will be a lot more in the coming chapters, so hold tight. What did you all think about Bonnie and Damon's date/non-date at the concert? I absolutely love The Script, and the song "I'm Yours," so don't mind me while I impose my influence on Bonnie, lol. What did you think about her and Damon holding hands, and the tension in the taxi on the way home? On a scale of 1-10, how UNRESOLVED do you think things are between them? Hahaha. And Bonnie's reaction afterwards? What about her finally opening up to Laila, and telling her a bit of the history between she and Damon? What do you think about Bonnie's confession of love for Damon, and why she said it? Should they talk about that? Also, what about Damon seemingly being cool about what happened the night before? Is he just putting up a front to make her happy? Lastly—Stefan and Caroline are here! Do you think there will be problems there, if so, why? As always, thank you all so much for reading. I truly appreciate all that you have to say, and I hope this chapter was enough to hold you over until next time! xoxo**


	6. I'll Run

**I'll Run**

"I can't believe it's you; it's actually _you,_" Caroline said, as she bit back a few tears, and Bonnie stood paralyzed by the untimely visit.

_Stefan and Caroline were here, and honestly? She had no idea what the hell she was supposed to say._

"I-This is... a surprise," Bonnie said dryly, and Caroline nodded her head furiously, as Stefan cleared his throat, and moved in a bit timidly.

The green-eyed vampire hadn't lost his edge when it came to that- he still seemed supremely careful, and overly cautious.

"Caroline... thought it'd be a good idea if we came to see you," he said softly. "It's been a while."

"I know," Bonnie said shortly, and there was a long silence between the three, as Stefan stuffed his hands into his pockets, and sighed.

This was going exactly the way he expected- _awkwardly. _He didn't understand why Caroline couldn't just _listen _to him, sometimes, and heed to his warnings. Had he been talking to himself the entire car ride here?

Caroline glanced at her watch, and tucked a strand of her even longer, fluffy, blonde curls behind her ear, and smiled nervously.

"We're staying at a hotel- a few minutes away, so we totally won't be imposing on you guys," she promised. "But... I was hoping you and I could, I don't know, grab some coffee, or something?" Caroline asked hopefully, and Bonnie blinked silently, before pursing her lips together.

"I have a lot of studying to do, tonight-" she began, and Damon interrupted her.

"It can't wait, Bonnie?" Damon asked suddenly, and Bonnie flashed her eyes in his direction, in a venomnous stare. "You studied those damn note cards all day. Laila told me."

Bonnie scoffed silently, and shook her head in annoyance.

_He and Laila really needed to stop double teaming her like this._

Damon didn't back down, however, as he folded his arms across his chest, and glared right back.

His blue eyes were suddenly challenging hers, as they didn't falter or back down from the stand-off. Bonnie finally rolled her eyes, and looked back at Caroline, who was smiling softly. She sighed.

"Fine," Bonnie finally agreed, and the blonde's eyes lit up. "We can go grab some coffee... Is Stefan coming, too?" she asked a bit harshly, and he immediately shook his head.

"I'm gonna stick around here, with Damon," he replied. "It's probably for the best."

"Yeah," Bonnie answered sharply, before turning back to Caroline. "Just... give me a minute, okay? I've gotta change."

"Sure, Bon," Caroline said brightly, though Bonnie could sense the shakiness in her tone. "I'll be here."

Bonnie didn't respond as she walked off to her bedroom, and the blonde immediately looked to Damon, who seemed to be wearing a mask of displeasure at Bonnie's reaction.

Yeah, it was totally douchey of him to not tell her that Stefan informed him of he and Caroline's plan to come to New York- but that didn't give her the right to be so unwelcoming about it. He wasn't a huge fan of the idea, himself, but he was taking it in stride.

Why couldn't she?

Damon began to walk, and Stefan grabbed his forearm quickly to stop him.

"Damon," his brother began. "Just let it go."

"You know me better than that," Damon snapped back, as he ripped his arm out of Stefan's grip, and headed out of the living, and down the hallway, towards Bonnie's bedroom door.

He didn't bother to knock, as he pushed the door open and slammed it behind him, while Bonnie was busy in the mirror, brushing her hair.

She whipped around and sent him a stare as he gazed at her angrily. She decided to speak first.

"I don't remember you knocking," she said lowly, and Damon furrowed his brows, as he licked his teeth.

"I don't remember you being so bitchy," he shot back, and Bonnie's gaze stiffened. "Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Me, Damon? What the hell is wrong with _you_? Why would you tell them that it's okay to come here? How they even get in here? Don't I have to _invite _vampires in?" she asked in a hushed tone, and he shook his head.

"My name's on the lease now, Bennett- that little rule is null and void. Besides, why are you so upset? I did you a favor."

"Me? You did _me _a favor, by going behind my back, and summoning Stefan and Caroline? Why would you think that's okay?"

Because they're your friends, remember? Or at least they were, until you cut every single person who cared about you out of your life," he answered, and Bonnie remained silent. "You sounded like you still cared about them the last time we went to Central Park- Caroline, especially. And, God forgive me for saying this, but hasn't it ever occurred to you that she and Laila are almost _exactly _alike? You think that's a coincidence?"

Bonnie rose to her feet, and slipped on her favorite baby blue cardigan.

"That's not your problem-"

"It is my problem," he fired back, and Bonnie looked away. "It's definitely my problem, and you know why? Because I have to live with you, Bonnie. And as your friend, and your roommate, I don't wanna see you like this; hurt, damaged, broken- it sucks, okay? I can't watch you live this way. I won't."

"Then don't," Bonnie replied simply, as she looked into his shining blue eyes. "You don't have to live here, you know. It's temporary, remember?" she mumbled, as she attempted to walk past him, but he grabbed her wrist tightly. "Damon, let go-"

"Make me," he answered, and Bonnie pressed her lips. "Oh, that's right- you _can't. _You're not a witch anymore. You have to actually deal with things the way _normal _people do. How upsetting," he said sarcastically, and Bonnie groaned as her green eyes met his in a long stare.

"Why are you so persistent about this?"

"Persistent, how? Persistent, in the fact that I want you to smile, and be happy? I didn't know that made me a villain, Bonnie. Better alert the media- you are being held hostage in the World's Healthiest Friendship. Next up, I make you go bowling!"

Bonnie laughed incredulously as she tore her hand away, and walked over to her dresser to grab her purse.

"I don't understand what you want me to say, Damon."

"I don't want you to say anything, Bonnie- I want you to _do _something!" he finally erupted, and Bonnie's eyes narrowed as she stopped in her tracks.

Damon wasted no time standing before her, and she stubbornly folded her arms across her chest, as he let out a deep sigh. Damon's usually charismatic blue eyes were filled with loads of angst and frustration, as he stared at Bonnie like she just dropped the ball on a final Super Bowl pass.

She didn't say a word, though, as his jaw ticked, and he finally opened his mouth to speak.

"I... want you to do something- do something about the fact that two people, who clearly give a shit about you, are here, and they wanna make things right... Is it so hard for you to let down the ladder to that tower of yours, Bonnie?" he asked, in a much softer tone, and Bonnie sighed.

To answer his question? Yes. It was extremely hard to be open, honest, and trusting when it came to anything, anymore. She'd become an old, tired, cliche- she was _that girl _who had her walls up so high that Bonnie, herself, could have doubled for the division between East and West Berlin.

And she knew it was wrong; she knew that a part of the issue with Caroline and Stefan was her. She hadn't made things any easier, and if she kept on with this, she'd undoubtedly make it worse.

"This is going to be _so _awkward," she trailed off, and he let out a short laugh.

"Yeah, probably," he admitted. "But what aspect of your life isn't, right now? I dare you to name one."

Bonnie sighed, as her foot tapped involuntarily when she suddenly realized that she was struggling for an answer. She hated that he seemed to be making so much sense, these days.

She also hated that perfect twinkle in his eyes, as he looked at her like she was the most special and perfect woman he'd ever meant. She was neither, in her opinion, but he always had a way about making her believe it.

_Goddamn him._

"I'm proud of you," he said simply, and she suddenly felt shy. "I really am, Bennett."

His hands captured her cheeks, and she was immediately transported to a memory that she had told herself was long forgotten. As he moved in closer, her skin warmed, and her tongue itched when his eyes met hers. Damon's forehead softly bumped into hers, and she instantly wanted to pull herself away, but she couldn't.

She couldn't do a damn thing, if she tried.

"Damon-" she started, as she shut her eyes, and breathed; feeling the slow intoxication of his proximity beginning to settle in on her. "Don't do this. Not now... We said that last night was just... an accident."

He didn't seem to be listening, as she felt the air grow even tighter between them, and she could have sworn she felt the faint brush of his lips against hers.

She prayed that she imagined it all.

"Was it?" he asked, in a voice barely above a whisper.

She tried to escape him with her thoughts. However, she only dug herself in, much deeper, with the sanctuary that awaited her, inside of her head.

_"Damon- I'm just gonna take a guess, but I do not- oh my god, you're doing it wrong!" Bonnie screeched, as the vampire slopped a handful of sprinkles on top of the ice cream sundae before him. "Look- now you ruined it."_

_"Oh, give it a rest will you?" he replied, as he grinned at his masterpiece before turning to her. "It's perfect," he winked._

_"It's hideous," Bonnie said bluntly, and he scoffed, as he glanced at it proudly. "Like really, really bad."_

_"You think so?" he asked boldly, and she nodded as she crossed her arms over her chest. "It looks delicious."_

_Bonnie stared at the vampire like he had five heads, as they stood at the counter in the middle of the kitchen, at the Boarding House. His eyes were wide with delight, and her forehead wrinkled with annoyance as she tried to flesh out the reasons why she agreed to this in the first place._

_Ever since the "incident" where dark magic took over and she nearly killed Elena, she'd sort of been an outsider when it came to everyone. Sure, she'd "recovered," and was back to her cynical self, but she found it increasingly harder to go back to her "old life," that easily. As far as she was concerned, she couldn't- she couldn't pretend like things were "okay;" no matter how many times she and Caroline went out to sushi, or Jeremy invited her to the Grill. Hell, she couldn't even find it in her heart to say no when Tyler and Matt persuaded her into going to their football games, anymore. But it didn't mean that she felt "normal;" not in the least._

_The only think that burned in the back of her mind was the look of terror in Elena's eyes when she nearly slashed her throat. And she could never shake the aura of disappointment that she felt whenever she was in Stefan's presence, though Damon told her not to take it personally, because "that's how Stefan was, sometimes." But it didn't hurt any less- and the pain of her regret seemed like something she'd always carry._

_But being around Damon made her feel okay._

_Maybe it was because, unlike everybody else, he didn't treat her any differently than he had before. Yeah, he had grown a bit kinder with his off-handed compliments, but he'd remained much of the same, too. And she enjoyed that. It was refreshing to be around somebody who didn't treat her like a fucking basketcase, or like she was someone to be pitied._

_No; Damon treated her like a human being. A flawed one, yes, but still a human. And even after being the one to ultimately pull her back from the "dark side" he didn't just act like she was some burden, worry, or even trouble to hang out with. She somehow believed that he liked her company- even if he wouldn't admit it._

_While Elena and Stefan were off in their own bubble being "epic," Bonnie provided a very necessary, critical, witty, and interesting person to drift towards. _

_He could argue with her for hours about nothing, yet, feel like they had the same opinion at the end of the squabble, after all. He'd ask her questions about being a witch, and in turn, she grilled him about being a vampire, until their voices became too annoying for the other to hear, and one would leave the conversation. _

_She wasn't much of a drinking buddy, but he didn't figure he minded much anyway. Maybe he needed to cut down on the bourbon, sometimes. You know- just in case vampires could get liver disease._

_Bonnie was a great distraction- and dare he say it- friend, when he was desperately needing one, nowadays. It sure was a lot better than pining over his love lost, when it came to Elena._

_Damon snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed Bonnie was sneering at him._

_"What?"_

_"You're gross," she said, snatching the whipped cream out of his hand, and swirling it atop his ice cream. "And your idea of a sundae looks like shit."_

_"Last I checked, Judgy, I didn't invite you over," he snapped back, as he took the whipped cream out of her hand and sprayed it into his mouth. "Plus- it's my birthday. I can make my sundae look as shitty as I please," he replied, with a muffled tone and she rolled her eyes._

_She couldn't argue with that. She'd heard from Caroline, who heard from Elena, who heard from Damon that today was Damon's birthday, but he was refusing to celebrate it. He'd quite literally told Stefan and Elena that if they tried anything funny, he'd go on a rampage. He asked to be left alone, and they granted that._

_Too bad Bonnie didn't. And she half-expected Damon to rip her new one for it. _

_But surprisingly, he wasn't upset. Maybe just a bit shocked, perhaps, that she took enough of an interest to show up with two cartons of cookies and cream ice cream, chocolate syrup, sprinkles, and the works, to create something edible, seeing as he only kept blood in the fridge._

_Lucky for her, he reluctantly accepted. After all, who didn't like ice cream?_

_"Fine," she answered, as she opened the kitchen drawer. "Where are the candles, then? Since this was my idea to 'do something,' I figured you could make a wish."_

_"Can I wish for you to go away?" he asked, and she didn't hesitate to elbow him in the ribs as she continued to look. _

_"You can," she answered. "But we both know you prefer to have me around."_

_Damon rose both brows, and cocked his head._

_"Really? Enlighten me, Bennett."_

_"You like not being alone. It takes your mind off of Elena," she said, and Damon shrugged._

_"Same goes for you. What's your point?"_

_"I hate all of the mindless activities that this town has to offer. So do you."_

_"Doesn't make us special, just makes us smart," Damon said, as he tapped his hand against the counter._

_"As long as I'm around, you're not the resident psycho. For once, you're not the one that people are keeping in check," Bonnie said finally, as she began to align a few candles on the creation. "Nobody wants to be the crazy chick."_

_There was a long silence between them as Bonnie lit a match-the human way- and began to illuminate the candles. _

_When she finally looked up, his blue eyes were searing through so intensely, she wasn't sure if she'd made him mad, or not. Damon stepped in quietly, and her lips pursed when he shook his head. _

_"You're not crazy," he said plainly, and she rolled her eyes. "You are... a lot of things, Bonnie Bennett, but not that-"_

_"Save it, Damon. You don't have to lie, okay? I... appreciate you because you don't lie to me. Let's just keep it that way," Bonnie cut in, and he bit his lip. "Are you... ready to make a wish?" she asked, suddenly changing the subject._

_Damon looked down at the sundae, and watched as the ice cream began to melt, slowly, in the porcelain bowl. He watched as the candle flickered, the sprinkles slid, and the whipped cream became increasingly lopsided, with each passing second._

_Bonnie was right; the sundae looked like shit. But she was also wrong about something; he wasn't only hanging out with her because she was a good distraction from Elena, she made him seem less crazy, or even because he hated how ass-backwards this entire town was._

_No. He hungout with Bonnie Bennett because he saw a lot of himself, in her. From the cynicism in her stare, to the way she bottled it all up because she didn't want to be seen as weak, or become anyone else's problem; Bonnie was as self-reliant as they came, and he could always identify with that. Especially when he was feeling lonely, sometimes._

_Sure, he had Stefan, but so did Elena. Sure, she had Caroline, but so did everyone._

_At the end of the day, they didn't really have anyone, except for each other, actually. And the fact that they were both just so hopelessly tragic was a story within itself._

_It was everything._

_"Damon, how many things are you going to wish for?" Bonnie asked impatiently, as her foot tapped against the tile, and he snapped out of his thoughts._

_He looked up at her, and the look in her eyes was a mixture of tiredness and annoyance, as she blinked silently, and held the sundae before him. Damon took it out of her hands, and she scoffed as her eyes narrowed._

_"Damon, what are you-"_

_"One," he said, and her brow rose in confusion. "I wished for one thing, Judgy."_

_"What was it?" she asked, in a disinterested tone, and she gasped when his hands suddenly took her face into his grasp, and his thumbs caressed her cheeks. "Damon..."_

_"Stop, Bonnie," he interrupted, in a soft tone, and the girl pursed her lips together as he moved in closer, and his eyes never evaded hers. "I just... Don't talk, for a second."_

_Bonnie gulped at that, but she complied, as his fingers slid from her face, down to her neck, and rested on her veins. Bonnie inhaled deeply, but she never looked away from his eyes, as they seemed to become even more enamored by her, by the second. _

_She'd never experienced this; the feeling that someone was quite literally staring into her soul, and fact that they didn't seem to be scared about what they actually found._

_His forehead pushed against hers, and Bonnie swallowed hard at the fact that he could probably hear her persistent heart beating, at a mile a minute. She attempted to take a step back, but she suddenly felt paralyzed by the look in his eyes._

_What the hell was happening?_

_"Damon, don't," she said weakly, as she shook her head. "I-I can't do this."_

_Damon's oceanic eyes studied hers, as she trembled within his hands. Her skin was on fire, as his fingers trailed along her collar bone; igniting something within her that she was trying so hard to keep buried._

_He only knew this because he'd tried, for far too long, to keep the same feeling tucked away, in a dark place that it'd never be able to be recovered._

_But as he did with most things, he failed. He failed at not feeling. He failed at not caring. He failed at not falling. He failed at not yearning._

_But she was a failure, as well; because she failed at all of those same things, too._

_"Can't... or won't?" he asked, and Bonnie stood frozen when she realized she didn't have an answer for that. Damon sighed gently. "That's... what I thought."_

_Bonnie didn't have enough time to catch her breath as Damon's lips were suddenly pressed to hers._

_She immediately felt wrapped up in a flurry of emotions, as the vampire pulled her in tighter, and kissed so longingly, she forgot all about her previous objections to this._

_All things aside, Damon was a fantastic kisser, and the more his tongue collided with hers, and his hands held her, almost protectively, at the face, the harder she was falling into this._

_The harder she was falling into him._

_Their lips seperated for a moment, and Bonnie shook her head profusely, as she rose her fingers to her lips; still feeling the tiny shockwaves of electricity that now emitted from her body, thanks to him._

_What the hell was he thinking, kissing her like that? She ought to hit him for being so forward._

_"Are you insane?" she finally let out, as her fingers lingered at her lips, and her gaze remained at the ground. "Why would you do that, Damon?"_

_"Why wouldn't I do that?" he counteracted, all too boldly. "Clearly, you liked it."_

_"That doesn't make it right," she answered, still avoiding his eyes. "It's just wrong..."_

_"What's so wrong about it?" he asked firmly, as he stepped in once more. "Is it wrong because you wanted it?"_

_"It's wrong because you love Elena," she answered, and his lips shut tightly. "And I- I don't know how I feel."_

_Damon looked into her eyes, and deciphered her code perfectly._

_"For Klaus, you mean," he said simply, and she tightened. "You don't know what you feel for him. Even after everything that he's put you through."_

_Bonnie remained quiet, and slumped her shoulders._

_"It's not that simple, Damon."_

_"You're right, it isn't, Bonnie," he agreed, as his hands dropped to his sides, and she stared at him. "It's not that simple- and you wanna know why? Because despite what I may feel for Elena, and what you may feel for Klaus, we still feel something for each other. And that's not going to go away, just because we'd be better off ignoring it."_

_"So, what do you want from me, Damon?"_

_"I want you to do something!" he suddenly yelled, and she stiffened. "Do something, Bonnie. Anything! Anything to let me know that it's not all me... that it never was." _

_Bonnie inhaled, and Damon took her face into his palms again, and she told herself to pull away, but she didn't._

_She couldn't, rather, and she knew exactly why._

_Because despite the messes that they were both in, she couldn't deny this anymore. She wanted him, too. Decency, logic, sense, and rationality be damned._

_It was Damon's turn to be surprised, this time, when Bonnie pushed him up against the wall, and their lips collided, again. This time, with even more passion than before. _

_Damon's hands traveled down to her back; grasping at her t-shirt, and hungrily swallowing her lips, as she pushed her body against his so roughly, she swore they'd put a dent in the wall behind him. It was only a matter of seconds before he slammed her against it, and his mouth began to devour at her neck with such a sense of urgency, you'd have thought he was starved for human interaction his entire life._

_"Only because it's your birthday," she lied, as her fingers coursed through his hair, and he continued to freely kiss her jawline. "This... doesn't happen again."_

_"We'll see about that," he answered, as his lips smoothed up her neck, and she sighed when they finally met her ear. "It is my birthday, after all," he whispered._

_She didn't have the chance to respond, as he drowned her with another kiss._

"Bon, you okay in there?"

She exhaled longingly at the sound of Caroline's voice, and sent Damon a glance before responding.

"Yeah, be out in a minute!" she called back, feeling supremely flustered, as she quickly shot up, and ran her fingers throughout her hair.

Damon smug, but serious, expression didn't change, as he looked her up and down, from head to toe, in a completely obvious way. She did her best to ignore it.

_"Okay, I'll be outside in the hallway!" Caroline called, before leaving._

Bonnie listened as Caroline's steps departed, before looking up at Damon, once more.

"I have to go," Bonnie said blankly. "Caroline's waiting."

Damon licked his lips, and nodded at that, much to her relief.

"Yeah. So is Saint Stefan. Shall we?"

Bonnie nodded eagerly, as he led the way out the door, and she immediately felt dizzy.

She was drained, annoyed, surprised, tired, and way too nostalgic for one night. She needed to get out of this apartment, and his presence, if it were the last thing she did.

Bonnie huffed as she walked out of her room, and Damon stopped in the living, as he sat on the couch, right next to Stefan. She didn't bother to say another word as she ventured out into the hallway; slamming the door hard, behind her.

Caroline stuffed her hands into her spring jacket, and smiled softly.

"Ready for coffee? I was thinking that cute little cafe I passed on my way here-I had some this morning, and it was great-"

"Change of plans," Bonnie interrupted, and the bubbly blonde shut her lips. "We're going to a bar."

Caroline's brows furrowed for a second, before she clapped her hands delightfully, and her warm grin lit up the entire hallway.

"Perfect, let's go," she said, and Bonnie didn't say a word, as the girl followed her down the hall, and to the elevator.

As she pressed the button for the bottom level, she tried to contain the feeling that was growing in the pit of her stomach, as she watched the doors close.

Damon was onto her; he knew that all that she felt wasn't just "nothing,"and he was making it increasingly clear that he wasn't going down without a fight. He'd made it his mission to have her second-guessing herself, and it pained her to say that it was actually working.

He was slowly but surely getting to her. Both in her head, and also in reality.

And it was only a matter of time before she snapped. She was seriously starting to regret the decision to become roomates with each and every fiber of her being.

xxxxxxxxx

"What the hell was that about?" Stefan asked, as he watched Damon, from the couch, pouring two glasses of straight rum.

"What the hell was what?" Damon replied, as he placed the glass tumbler back onto the makeshift bar, and walked the drinks back over towards his brother. "I don't speak 'brooding vampire.' You might have to make yourself clearer."

Stefan shot Damon a glance of annoyance, as his brother smirked softly, while handing him his glass.

He'd gone too long without tormenting Stefan, to be quite honest. Having him at his general disposal in New York City was going to be great.

"What's going on with you and Bonnie?" Stefan asked bluntly, as Damon sipped his drink. "I heard everything."

"The perks of drinking human blood," Damon winked, before he took a sip. "Those five senses of yours remain _off the charts..._"

Stefan didn't smile, and Damon sighed. His brother could be such a buzzkill, sometimes.

"We're... just friends," Damon smiled, and Stefan rolled his eyes. "Bonnie and I are perfectly fine."

"Really? Cause that's not what it sounded like, from out here," Stefan answered, and Damon folded his arms. "Because, to me, it sounded like there was a lot of tension there. A lot more than there should be for two people who are 'just friends.'"

Damon snorted, but he knew that his brother was right. The tension between the two could have been cut with a knife. And even then, it'd still be extremely tough to swallow.

"So what? Bonnie and I argue all the time. No need to pencil me in for a therapy session," he replied, and Stefan rolled his eyes. "What?"

"You're setting yourself up for disappointment, and you know it, Damon. Bonnie's not gonna go there again, with you. She just won't do it."

Damon took a long sip of his drink, and gazed into his brother's overly concerned eyes. It was astounding how much you could see just by one glance. He couldn't wait to get ahold of Stefan's face within the next five seconds when he bursted his Knowledge Bubble.

"She already has," Damon informed, and Stefan's head cocked. "Last night. We went to a concert to see her favorite band. And not only did she hold my hand in public, but she basically frisked me in the back of a yellow taxi on the way home. I'd say we've made some progress."

Stefan scoffed, and placed his drink down.

"Was she drunk?"

"Who cares? She's obviously got some pent-up emotions when it comes to me and her, and I'm just ridin' the wave, Stefan. She'll realize it sooner or later."

"What happened to just being friends, Damon? You said that's what you wanted."

"I changed my mind," he said flatly, and Stefan rolled his eyes. "And so will Bonnie."

"Right, so, what's your plan? Third base in the back of a cab on the way home from a Thai restaurant?" he asked, and Damon laughed. "Seriously, Damon- you're setting yourself up, right now. Bonnie _can _hurt you, okay? You're being naive if you don't think she's capable of that again."

"And you know what I think?" Damon asked, as he rose to his feet, and folded his arms. "I think you're the last person to preach to me about naïveté when your new 'best friend' Caroline clearly has a thing for you that you're not willing to acknowledge, because you're being too much of a mindless prick to realize that Elena's gone, and she's never coming back."

Stefan remained quiet as he looked up into Damon's fiery eyes, and then down at the ground, in one fluid motion.

Damon immediately felt bad for saying the words as so, but he didn't regret them, because it was true. Bonnie was fully capable of breaking his heart, again, and being more than just friends could have been relationship suicide for Stefan, but so what?

What the hell was this life good for if they didn't take any chances? What was the point of going through the motions if they didn't actually believe in them, or take the next step? Why even bother with any of this at all?

Stefan finally looked up from the ground, and shrugged his shoulders in that way where he was admitting that Damon was right, without really saying it.

He'd been doing it for decades, at this point.

"You're my brother, Damon," Stefan finally said, and his eyes shone with sincerity as he gazed back at Damon. "I just... I don't want to see you get hurt, again."

Damon swallowed hard, and he reluctantly moved in closer towards Stefan. He placed a careful hand on his shoulder, and his younger brother remained stoic.

Damon would be lying if he said Stefan's concern didn't move him. After all, Stefan was the one to pick up the pieces that Bonnie had left behind when she left him, and Mystic Falls, in her rearview mirror. He was depressed, but with Stefan's help, he got through it.

He wasn't sure if he ever thanked him for that, but then again, he knew he didn't have to.

Stefan's only response would be "we're family," and he'd leave it at that, though he knew that what they had was much, much, more.

Stefan was his lifeline; Stefan was his strength. Stefan was the reason he hadn't ended it all, and ultimately one and only connection that he still had to his humanity. The love shared between the brothers had always been a subtle thing, verbally, but physically?

Well, it was the most powerful bond he'd ever experienced.

They'd feud, argue, hurt, and punish one another. But at the end of the day, they only ever wanted to be a part of each other's world. Stefan wanted nothing more than the guidance of his big brother, while Damon adored the annoyingly overwhelming presence of his little brother.

Distance, drama, and differences between them, Damon and Stefan would never let each other go, at this point, and Damon was secretly thankful for that.

The love of a woman was what he always wanted. But the love of his brother? Well, that was what he _needed._

"Will you be here to say 'I told you so' when I get my heart broken, again?" Damon asked a bit hopefully, and Stefan sighed at that, as he settled against the couch much more.

"I'll be here to pick up the pieces, Damon," he said softly. "But I'm hoping there won't be any, this time."

Damon smiled at that, as he walked over to the bar, and poured two more drinks.

That was honestly all that he needed to hear.

xxxxx

"This place is amazing," Caroline breathed, as she placed her empty margarita glass on the counter, and turned to face Bonnie. "And you work here?"

Bonnie took a sip of her beer, and shrugged lightly.

"For now," she replied, and Caroline's brow's scrunched. "Tomorrow's my last night, and then I'm hanging it up as a bartender," she confessed, and Caroline clapped her hands together.

"Awesome! And then what?" she asked, as Bonnie shifted uncomfortably. "You always have something planned."

Before Bonnie could respond, Laila cut in, with two shots of vodka for them, and a third for herself. She cleared her throat loudly.

"And then nothing," she replied to Caroline's inquiry. "Her roomate/sugar daddy is insisting she take a break from the world, to 'figure herself out.' I think he's just jealous that she spends more time with me than she does with him," Laila winked, and Caroline turned to face Bonnie.

Bonnie immediately glared at Laila with fire in her eyes, before looking back at Caroline. The blonde had a questioning glare on her face.

"There's more to it than that," she answered. "We'll... talk about it."

Caroline nodded shortly, as her fingers sifted through her hair, and she forced a smile.

"Okay," she said shortly, as her blue eyes glowed. "We will."

There was an awkward silence between the two, and Laila watched on as the two estranged friends stared at each other, almost unfamiliarly. Bonnie had never really told her much about Caroline, but from the source of conversation between the two over the past hour, she figured things were just as unresolved here, as they were with Damon.

She suddenly felt responsible for making this right. Or at least breaking the tension.

"You know, Caroline, if you're looking for a job, I can totally get you in here, if you want," Laila said, as the blonde turned to face her. "With Bonnie leaving, it'll definitely make things much easier around here if we have an extra body."

Caroline's eyes lit up at Laila's mention, and a smile crossed her lips as she immediately perked up again.

"Really? I mean, I don't want you to feel obligated, just because Bonnie and I are friends, and-"

"No obligation at all," Laila said. "Just come by tomorrow. I'll introduce to the owner. We'll take it from there, okay?"

Caroline bit her lip and nodded happily before turning to face Bonnie.

"Only if it's okay with you, Bonnie-"

"It is," she interrupted. "Don't worry."

Caroline nodded softly, and Laila picked up her shot, and faced them. The two girls followed suit, and she sighed before beginning a toast.

"To friends- whether they're old or new. Let's all just appreciate the fact that we have someone who cares about us enough to want to be in our lives... Because that's all we ever really want, right? Someone who cares about us. So, cheers. Cheers to figuring out this crazy world together, and not letting whatever may have happened in the past dictate our future."

"Cheers," Caroline said, and the two girls turned to face Bonnie as she remained stoic.

Bonnie contemplated Laila's words, as they passed through her ears. She was correct.

When was Bonnie going to stop letting her past dictate her future? And when was she going to allow people to just be there for her, no questions asked? Caroline was here because she cared; she cared enough to leave her life in Mystic Falls behind to come here, and confront her about the state of their sinking friendship.

Caroline was doing everything that a friend should have; she'd given her space before ultimately reaching out to her. She wasn't prying. She was genuinely concerned. She was trying to take it slow.

Caroline deserved much more than her cold shoulder, and after seeing how much the girl was willing to put up with, just for her sake, her icy exterior was slowly beginning to melt.

And it never took much more than a smile from her.

"Cheers," Bonnie finally said, and Laila and Caroline smiled. "Cheers to moving forward."

They all gulped back their vodka in unison, and Bonnie's fingers tingled as she slammed the empty shot glass back onto the counter. When Laila deserted the area to attend to the other patrons at the bar, Bonnie turned to Caroline, who was staring at her, quietly.

Laila was doing an excellent job at getting the girls to interact when she was there, but once she disappeared, it almost felt like they were at square one, again. They had so much to talk about, yet so little to say, and fewer words to say them with.

The silence between them was starting to feel painful.

"So, how do you like NYU?" Caroline asked gently. "I was thinking of compelling someone at the admissions office to read my application," she smiled shyly. "I was... thinking it'd be cool to go to school together, again."

"Yeah," Bonnie nodded, a bit blankly. "It's... a cool place, I guess."

The silence settled between them once more, and Bonnie silently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to Caroline- she did, actually- but what the hell was she supposed to say?

Was she supposed to tell her that she had no idea what the fuck she was going to do with the rest of her life? Was she supposed to inform her that she had this weird thing with Damon that she couldn't make out, most days, or admit to, on others? Was she supposed to discuss the fact that this was all a whirlwind- that up until a few days ago, she barely had one friend, and now, it was a bit overwhelming having so many here, at once?

Bonnie was more scared, than anything, to just open up. Because when she opened up, she got burned. Would confiding in Caroline be any different?

She didn't get the chance to evaluate it.

"When did we become so awkward, Bonnie?" Caroline suddenly asked, with a look of hurt in her eyes. "I mean... I know, I shouldn't have come, okay? I know. But somehow, I thought everything would be fine. I thought... we'd see each other, and everything would just kinda... be better," Caroline said, as she blinked back a few tears. "Cause I called you, Bonnie. I called, and I texted, and I wrote, and I emailed but you just... you never answered. Not even once, Bonnie."

"I know," she finally said, as she watched a tear drip down Caroline's pale cheek. "I know, Caroline."

She cleared her throat, as Caroline busily wiped her tears, and looked down.

"I can go, if you want," Caroline replied. "If this is too much, I can leave-"

"I'm sorry," Bonnie spat, and Caroline's brow's rose at the apology. "I know it took me so long to say it, but I really am sorry, Care... I'm sorry for blowing you off, and acting like we couldn't be friends, anymore. I just... I didn't want to disappoint you, when you realized that I changed- that I wasn't the person you knew, anymore, and I'm so sorry for not letting that be your call. I'm sorry for everything."

She watched as Caroline's crystal blue eyes seemingly filled with even more tears. Upon demand, her own became a little bit watery, too. Caroline took her hands into her own and sniffled gently.

"I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like we couldn't be friends after what happened with Elena. I-I'm sorry if I ever made you think that I couldn't handle you changing, because I can, Bonnie; I can totally handle it. And... last but not least... I am _so _sorry that it took me so to come here."

Bonnie nodded at Caroline's words, and sighed with absolution.

Everything that the blonde had said was what she needed to hear.

She needed to know that Caroline hadn't completely lost faith in her, even after she went off the rails. She needed to see that Caroline still loved her for _her, _despite her mistakes.

"It's my fault," Caroline said, and Bonnie frowned. "I-I should have stopped you, Bonnie. I shouldn't have let you use all of that magic. I should have spoken up-"

"It wouldn't have made a difference, Caroline. Trust me," Bonnie cut in, and the vampire wiped her oncoming tears. "I... did what I did because I wanted to- I felt like I had to. You couldn't have changed it; nobody could have. Just... promise me something, Caroline. Just one thing."

"Anything, Bonnie," she replied, and Bonnie sighed, and swallowed hard as she looked into her eyes.

"Don't let me push you away, again," she said, and Caroline bit her lips at that. "No matter what I say or do... don't listen to me. Just... be there, Caroline, like you do so amazingly well," she said, and Caroline smiled through tears. "Don't let me shut you out."

Caroline suddenly moved in, and wrapped her arms around Bonnie so tightly, she was convinced she'd suffer from a lack of oxygen to the lungs. She didn't care, though. She liked having somebody be so _close, _and she desperately needed that somebody to be Caroline.

They were sisters, at the end of it all, and even with all that had changed, nothing could change that; Caroline Forbes was her _sister._

"I promise, Bonnie, from this day forward... you won't be able to get rid of me," Caroline said, as she held her tightly, and Bonnie laughed as her chin rested on Caroline's shoulder, and her arms tightened.

She honestly hadn't realized how much she'd missed this.

"Good," Bonnie said softly. "Because that's exactly what I want."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Damon layed in bed, that night, staring up at the ceiling, and mindlessly counting the imaginery sheep that plagued his mind, whilst listening to the persistent _tick _of the clock on his night table.

He glanced over at it, and back towards the ceiling in one motion, before getting back to his thoughts.

It was 3:35 A.M, and Bonnie had yet to return from her venture of Manhattan with Caroline, despite the fact that Stefan had left to his own hotel, hours ago.

It wasn't that he was worried-he may have been, slightly- but he just had this nagging feeling about it all, if he were honest. He couldn't just sleep, knowing that she wasn't completely safe and sound, and he groaned when he realized how much of a bitch this made him.

Since when did he care about people getting into bed, on time? Especially Bonnie? Sure, she had that final tomorrow afternoon, but she was also a self-reliant woman, and if she had proven one thing to him over the years, it was that she didn't need him to babysit her.

She never did. And maybe that was what unnerved him, so much.

When he heard the front door open, he nearly leapt out of bed, as he heard her footsteps meet the wooden floor, and lock the entrance behind her. He swallowed hard before sitting up, and brushing his fingers through his wild hair.

He looked pretty damn good for 3 A.M, in his opinion.

"Bennett?" he called, as he finally got out of bed, and walked over to his door, where he opened it slowly.

He glanced down the hallway and sighed when he saw Bonnie silently struggling to remove her shoes, before glancing at him, apathetically.

"You waited up for me, didn't you?" she asked, and Damon crossed his arms over his bare chest and shrugged, before walking over. "Since when did you become so sensitive?"

"The same time you became such a lush," he shot back, and Bonnie sneered at that.

"I'm not drunk, it's the shoes," she said, almost in one word, and he smirked. "I just- I'm not good with shoes, after I drink," Bonnie added, and he smiled at her misfortune.

"Maybe you shouldn't haven given up on coffee," Damon said, as the scent of vodka filled his senses. "You smell like a London pub."

"You're an ass."

"And you're drunk," he said, as he knelt down before her, and began to unzip her boots. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that you have the worst alcohol tolerance in the United States of America. Maybe even the world."

Bonnie snorted at that, as her hands moved to the top of his head to balance herself. She grasped onto his silky, raven hair, as she hiccupped. Damon immediately felt the sparks run through him when her fingers brushed along his scalp, and he inhaled a sigh as he ignored it.

"Screw you," she replied, and he chuckled.

"Profound," he shot back, as he slid the first shoe off of her foot. "I'm gonna add that to the list of your greatest comebacks."

"You should," she slurred, as he slid the other shoe off, and he finally rose to his feet. "I've had a few good ones lately. I'm sure you're very proud of me."

Damon watched as the girl made her way over to the couch, and crashed, hard, like ton of bricks. She shut her eyes as she tilted her head towards the ceiling, and she breathed silently as her hands landed upon her lap.

He hesistantly made his way over, and sat down beside her- garnering a soft glance when the couch shifted beneath his weight.

"You know why I'm proud of you," he said gently, and her eyes followed his. "And it has nothing to do with your lame ass comebacks."

Bonnie scoffed at that, and folded her arms.

"What is there to be proud of, Damon? I have no idea what I'm doing with my life, I just quit my job, and I also made the executive decision to drink the night before my final. I might actually fail."

"You're not gonna fail," he said confidently, and she sighed at that. "As for why I'm proud of you, well... you're a human, Bonnie... It's about time you started acting like it."

Bonnie laughed incredulously at his words.

"You were never this way with Elena," she noted. "You were _terrified _when it came to her making mistakes and living her life. Why are you so okay with whatever I want to do?"

Damon sighed as he settled into the couch, and he turned to face her. Her olive eyes glowed with curiousity as he figured out the best way to formulate his words.

"Because I trust you," he said simply, and Bonnie bit her lip at that. "I trust you even more than I trust myself. Imagine that?"

She inhaled deeply when his hand slowly, but surely, planted onto her cheek, and softly ran over her skin. She involuntarily shut her eyes at that, taking in the feeling of her intoxication as it melted with his touch.

She felt absolute bliss with him touching her like this..

Damon's hands continued to move along her jaw, and she sighed when they were suddenly even closer than they had been, before.

His hand finally dropped, as Bonnie gulped at the feeling racing through her veins. She didn't even want to begin to decipher what it meant that she was feeling _so much _right now.

Damon's eyes searched hers for a minute, before he finally opened his mouth to speak.

"You should probably get to bed," he noted. "It's late, and you've got that final."

He went to get up, and her hand grasped at his wrist. He stopped and faced her, as she looked into his eyes with pure fascination, and a gentle glare that unwillingly tugged at his heart strings.

He masked his emotion well.

"Or... we can stay here, on the couch. And I can tell you all about my night with Caroline," she suggested, and he pressed his lips. "You know, the one you ambushed me into?"

Damon snorted at that, but nevertheless, he sat down, and turned to face her. The sparkle in her eye was astounding.

"Why do you wanna tell me? You know I could care less about this mushy, gushy, girly crap," he said honestly, and Bonnie smiled, as she tucked her feet beneath herself, and sighed softly.

"Because I trust you," she admitted, and Damon felt something sear through him at the the echo of his own words. "I... trust you, even more than I trust myself... Imagine that?"

Bonnie looked down at her lap shyly, and immediately cursed herself for confessing to it. It was true; she did trust Damon. Much more than she could even handle, at this point, and each time she reminded herself of it, it burned a little more inside.

She wasn't supposed to feel anything for this guy.

She'd told herself, when she left Mystic Falls, that is was the right decision, because couldn't feel for him what she believed he deserved. She swore to herself that, when he reappeared, again, she wouldn't let him get under her skin, because it'd be the dumbest thing she could do, after all of this time. She promised herself that, with every part of her being, she wouldn't allow him to get so close to her that she lost sight of her natural goal, which was to keep him at arm's width.

But with each stare, talk, and moment, she realized that she was a liar. And she was only living in denial the harder she tried to push him away.

"Good to know," Damon said gently, and Bonnie exhaled as she finally looked into his eyes. "Now, about that talk?"

She straightened up when her eyes peered into his, and without another moment of hesistation, dug right into the tale that was her night.

They stayed up, just talking, for the next four hours.

A/N: Hello, everyone, I am back! So sorry for going M.I.A, but I struggled a bit with some writer's block/obsessiveness with making this chapter juuuust right. Let me know if I succeeded! First off, how did you feel about the moments between Bonnie/Caroline, Damon/Stefan? I dont want this just be about Bonnie and Damon, but their relationships with other people as well. So I hope you liked that part. Second, what about Bonnie and Damon at the beginning and the end? They seem to be growing much closer, and actually building things up from a friendship, instead of jumping right into it. Yay, or nay? Also, the flashback of Damon's birthday! How do you feel about Bonnie remembering the first time they kissed? What about the way he hinted at things with Klaus? What do you predict happened there? Next chapter promises a trip to IKEA, a party, and (finally) the return of Bad Ass Damon, because while his sensitive persona is nice, I think we all love when he has a bit of an edge. ;) Anyway, thank you all so much for following this story. I love you all. R&R! :)


	7. Sweet Nothing

**Sweet Nothing**

"You took my heart and you held it in your mouth

And, with the word all my love came rushing out

And, every whisper, it's the worst

Emptied out by a single word

There is a hollow in me now"

-Calvin Harris, & Florence Welch

"So, what's the verdict?" Damon asked, as he leaned against the headrest of Bonnie's chair, in the kitchen, and peered over her shoulder. "Are you a genius or a degenerate?"

Bonnie shook her head, as she used her finger to scroll through the website on her laptop, and she bit her lip when she came across the most nerve-wracking thing she'd look at all week: her final grades.

It'd been a week since she completed all of her classes at NYU, and her marks were supposed to be up by now, though she was way too scared to even look at them. With Damon's encouragement, and annoyance, she was finally biting the bullet, and looking to see if all of her hard work had actually paid off.

She could only hope that all of the worrying had been completely unnecessary, on her part.

When she finally came to the page that possessed her transcript, she felt her palms sweating and her fingers shaking as she began to search for the spring semester. When she finally came across them, her heart nearly stopped when she read the grades for each of her five classes.

_She'd gotten an A in every single one._

"You have to be kidding," Bonnie said softly, and she inhaled deeply when she felt Damon move in a bit closer, and his mouth settled just at her ear.

"Breathe, Bonnie," he whispered.

She blinked furiously as she stared at the screen, and her mouth dropped slightly.

In all her life, Bonnie Bennett had never been a straight-A student. Sure, she managed to get well enough grades to remain on the Dean's List or the Honor Roll, and she did enough extracurricular activities to place them on her college applications, but she'd never been that girl that was perfect at anything. She was still a bit confused as to how she actually got into NYU, considering she never really thought she'd get in when she applied.

She secretly believed that her father, Rudy, spoke to someone on the admissions board. He was pretty well-known at Whitmore College back home, after all.

But seeing these grades—seeing her hard work finally pay off for something—was a bit astounding for the young girl. She couldn't help but wonder if this was just some sort of sick joke, or practice of wrong doing.

_And that's where Damon probably came in._

"I—How—Did you compel someone?" she immediately asked, as she whipped her head around to face a complacent Damon Salvatore, who was smiling gently with his arms across his chest.

"Come again, Bennett?"

"You heard me," Bonnie said, as she rose to her feet, and stood before him strongly, though he towered over her, easily. "Did you compel my professors to give me good grades?"

"What makes you think I would do that?" Damon asked, as he dropped his hands, and Bonnie scoffed as she pushed past him, and began to walk out of the kitchen.

"I knew it."

"Knew _what?_" Damon asked, as he followed her into the living room, where Bonnie was pulling on her jacket. "What the hell are you on that you think that I would do that, Bonnie?"

"Why wouldn't you do that, Damon?" she suddenly asked, as she turned to face him, and his face soured. "I've never had straight-A's, ever, Damon. And all of a sudden, you come around, I'm some sort of flawless college student? Don't I have a right to be suspicious?"

"You have a right to be _impressed _with yourself, because I didn't do anything," he said, and Bonnie's lips shut immediately. "I didn't go to any of your professors and mind fuck them into giving you better grades, Bonnie."

"Then how did this happen?"

"Gee, I don't know—maybe because you're _smart?_" Damon asked, as he stepped in closer, and Bonnie exhaled a deep breath. "_A lot _smarter than you give yourself credit for, sometimes, I think."

Bonnie remained silent as Damon pulled her hands from her chest, and gradually drew her in towards him. She considered yelling at him for even daring to put his hands on her, again, but she realized she couldn't, for she was lost in the absolute beauty of his eyes, again.

As the bright blue portals shone with such tenacity, she felt herself falling faster and deeper, just as the seconds passed.

_They really needed to stop meeting like this._

"You know," he began, as his fingers moved across hers, and she felt the heat of her skin immediately rising with each stroke, "I _really _miss the days when you were the one fighting to make me believe in you. Not the other way around."

Bonnie gulped at his words, and looked away when she realized that he was right.

In the past, she had always been the one keeping Damon on his toes, whilst making it clear that she was completely capable of doing big things whenever he doubted or provoked her. With every lick of banter between the two, she'd always made it her mission to make Damon believe in her, because it also helped her to believe in _herself. _If someone of his snarky, non-believing, and super tough demeanor could find it in his head, and in his heart, to put his faith in her, then she could too. He unknowingly pushed her to try better, and go harder, and it had been the stem of the majority of her confidence as a witch, back then.

But now? The tables had not only turned, but were completely flipped over.

_Damon _was the one fighting for Bonnie to believe and trust in herself. _Damon _was then one knowingly instilling her with arguments to keep her head up. _Damon _was the one battling for Bonnie to stop doubting, and she had become the cynic. She almost couldn't believe her eyes that this had happened.

Bonnie looked up into Damon's eyes, and she realized he was still holding onto her hands. She cleared her throat as she pulled them away, and shrugged her shoulders gently.

She needed to put her walls back up, immediately.

"Things change, Damon—"

"I know," he said, as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, and never removed his eyes from hers. "But at the same time, they don't… And they can always go back to the way they used to be."

Bonnie swallowed hard at that, as she realized the double-meaning behind his eyes. He didn't have to say anymore for her to understand what he was really getting at.

"I… think we should celebrate you rocking your spring semester, like a stud," Damon said, as he took a few steps in, and Bonnie tucked a strand behind her ear when she realized just how _easily _the glow in his eyes was barreling down on her.

Damon's eyes were always saying something—and right now, she couldn't even begin to master the ability to form words that would successfully convey them.

_Better yet, she could—she just realized she was far too embarrassed to even get onto that level of thinking. _

"What did you have in mind?" she asked, as she stood firmly, though he was all of sudden right before her and his fingers were brushing her hair away from her face. She tried her best to control her breathing, but it probably the hardest task she'd taken on yet, as his hand trickled across to her neck, and rested as the nape, with such familiarity.

All it did was remind her of the ways their make-out sessions in the past always started; her, with a hard exterior, masking the face of a girl who really just wanted to be touched, and him, with that incredibly serious but completely calculating stare, that sometimes knew her better than she even knew herself.

_Because he always knew her. And he knew what she really wanted—he always knew that it was him._

"I don't know," he said softly, as his thumb brushed across the vein in her neck, and he looked into her olive eyes. "Wine's always good. Or even some champagne… both two very good options that I can definitely _sink _my teeth into."

Bonnie breathed deeply as his fingers dropped down to her jacket, and he began to unzip it in such slow motion, it absolutely burned her. The daze was quickly starting up again, as she stood there numbly, while he, again, drove her completely crazy.

Bonnie shut her eyes, and she instantly regretted it, as a flood of thoughts and memories infiltrated her, all at once.

She could never escape them.

"_Damon, stop," Bonnie said, in-between kisses, as she swallowed hard, and the vampire looked into her eyes. "W—We shouldn't be doing this."_

"_You sure?" he asked, as he struggled to catch his breath, and he licked his lips. "Because you're the one on top of _me._"_

_Bonnie immediately slid off of Damon's lap, and onto the other side of his king size bed, as she stared blankly before her, and tried to structure her thoughts._

"_There, problem solved," she said breathlessly, and she felt Damon sit up beside her, as she busily began to re-button her shirt. "As simple as that."_

"Not _as simple as that," he replied, and she gasped when she felt her back hit his mattress, and he landed on top of her._

"_What are you doing?" she asked, as she looked up at him._

"_What you want me to do," he said, in a voice that chilled her down to her core._

_Bonnie felt Damon's lips collide with hers, once more, and she moaned when his hands roughly brought her face to meet his. She shut her eyes tightly as his mouth moved to her neck, and she felt him boldly rip her shirt open at the buttons. _

"_That was expensive," she breathed, as her nails slid beneath his shirt, and he laughed softly, as his lips pressed to her ear._

"_You'd look better in one of mine, anyway."_

_Bonnie growled at that, but she didn't say a word—she was, once again, speechless by this._

_It had been one month since Damon's birthday—when the two had an intense moment in the kitchen—and ever since then, this new thing between them had been strangely continuing._

_She liked to believe that the first time was just a fluke; that she only let him kiss her and touch her because she was bored, and it was his birthday, and it would never happen again. She believed they'd never talk about, bring it up, or explore that again. They were both just lonely, and that's all there was to it._

_Damon didn't want Bonnie, and Bonnie didn't want Damon; they were both just looking for absolution._

_She laughed when she realized just how wrong that was._

_Not only did they kiss again—the very next day—but they had been, every single day, since then. It hadn't gone any further than that—yet—but with Damon's persistence and sexiness in general, she was sure it was on its way. The fact that he had gotten her to come over here at 1 o'clock in the morning, after a few banter-filled text messages said a lot more than she ever could. He had finally gotten to her, and she had, undoubtedly, become his new challenge._

_Bonnie was like his very own form of medication. Damon was her perfectly imperfect distraction._

_While Stefan was busy tending to Elena, and everyone else was moving on with their lives, they were here, fading into the shadows, and falling into each other._

_What first started because of necessity—the need to just have someone—was quickly turning into something else, whether Bonnie wanted to believe it, or not. She was falling for Damon, just like she had fallen for Klaus—she was falling, again, and she wasn't supposed to be._

_So, with each touch, pull, push, and sigh, she was sure the witches on the Other Side were piling up their consequences, and getting ready to unleash them on her any minute now. Only this time, she considered that their punishment may have actually been worth it._

"_You're frisky tonight," she said, as she watched him pull his shirt off, and her eyes followed the definition of the muscles at his arms. "And you don't care about getting caught."_

"_Why would I?" he asked against her skin, as his lips headed for her chest. "We're both single; we can do what we want."_

_Bonnie tried to relax at his conscious words, because she knew that he was right; they were both single, and perpetually heartbroken. Why weren't they allowed to just act on their animal instincts, and do this with each other, without the fear of judgment from everybody else? Why couldn't Damon and Bonnie have a little fun?_

_She grabbed him at the hair as he moved to her stomach, and Damon growled against her skin as he looked into her serious eyes. He sighed._

_He was in for a lecture of some sorts. He just knew it._

"_I don't think this is a smart idea," she said, and he rolled his eyes. "If we go any further, Damon, it'll complicate things. And… I actually kind of value you as a friend—or whatever you are."_

_Damon licked his teeth, and sat up straight, as he brushed back his messy hair. She was right; sex complicated things always, for him especially, and doing that with the only friend he had left was a recipe for disaster. _

_But that didn't stop him from wanting her so badly._

"_I know—you're… right, for once," he concluded. "It'd be a genius idea to quit this while we're ahead."_

_Bonnie nodded in regretful agreement as she sat up as well and smoothed her long, dark waves._

_All of this willpower that they were having was exhausting. She almost hated the fact that she had such a big conscious, and Damon had this inept propensity for listening to her so goddamn often. She almost wished he'd rebel; that he'd say no again, toss her right on her back, and give in to everything that they had been holding back for all these weeks._

_Because she wanted that—she wanted him, and there was nothing else to it._

_But she knew that he wouldn't. Besides the fact that he didn't want to risk losing her or making her angry, whatever Bonnie said to Damon generally didn't fall upon deaf ears._

_He actually listened to her, and she appreciated that. Even if she didn't believe in half of what she was saying, nowadays._

"_I should go," Bonnie said softly, as she looked down at her shirt that was now missing a few buttons where Damon ripped it open. "It's late, and I need some sleep."_

_Damon watched as Bonnie slid out of his bed and she walked towards her shoes that sat on the ground. She ignored the feeling that threatened to consume her, as she felt his eyes burning through her, with such an alarming intensity. If she looked at him now, she didn't know what would happen, and she wasn't willing—or ready—to take that risk._

_But what saddened her is that she knew he wouldn't ask her to._

_Bonnie reluctantly turned to face Damon, and he was already staring up at the ceiling, with his hands behind his head, and his focus completely enamored by the blankness of it all. Her eyes coursed over the perfection of his pale skin, and she bit her lip when she realized that she was slowly, but surely, driving her own self insane. _

_He hadn't said a word, yet, he'd somehow spoken to her in more ways than one._

_Bonnie fidgeted with her fingers as she walked back over to the bed, and he turned to face her, with a look of gentle surprise as she laid down beside him, and silently gazed up at the ceiling, as well._

"_I don't have to leave," she confessed, as she inhaled a sigh._

"_Then don't," Damon answered, as he completely turned to face her. "Don't leave."_

_Bonnie pressed her lips, but she nodded quietly, before turning to look at him as well; her emerald eyes studying his with such close precision, as their faces stood just inches apart. Every breath taken by him floated along to her skin in such a magical way, she couldn't help but feel intoxicated by it all._

_Damon Salvatore was just that intoxicating, in general._

_Bonnie pulled his blanket up to her chest, and she didn't say anything more, as she watched him move in a bit closer, until their noses nearly touched. She felt his hand rest at her thigh, and she shut her eyes at the warm sensation that was his skin, as his fingers slid up to her waist, and softly pulled her in, again._

"_This… is the last time we can do this, Damon," Bonnie mentioned lightly, as his hands moved all over her and her eyes remained close. "We can't change things."_

"_Then I better make this last time count," he whispered, and she sighed softly when his lips finally met hers. _

_Bonnie's hands rose to his face and Damon's tongue slowly moved against hers as he planted a deep and passionate kiss on the girls lips. She immediately felt like morphine had been shot directly into her veins as his mouth formed against hers, and she wondered if she'd be considered clinically insane for even daring to give all of this up for the sake of their "friendship."_

_She decided that she was._

_When their lips parted, Bonnie turned away to face the opposing wall, as Damon reached for the light on the end table, and turned it off. He settled back into his mattress, with Bonnie's back pressed to his chest. His fingers gently moved across her cheek, before he held his hands at her waist, and she breathed comfortably against him._

"_Goodnight, Damon."_

_He couldn't get all that he had wanted from Bonnie, but for now, this would have to do. Sleeping beside her would have to suffice for all of the things he couldn't have; all of the things she wouldn't allow them to explore, together._

"_Goodnight, Bonnie."_

"Are you up for it?" she heard, and Bonnie re-opened her eyes, to see Damon still standing there, with that _look _on his face, and Bonnie breathed as she felt his mouth move dangerously close to her.

"Huh? Up for what?" she asked, and he smiled loosely, as he took a step back, and eyed her smoothly.

"IKEA," he said, and her brows furrowed. "I need a lamp. And maybe a new dresser."

Bonnie glanced at him blankly, but finally shook her head when she let it all settle in. Damon wanted her to go to _IKEA. _She could relax now; there was no reason to freak out any further.

"H—How is this celebration for my grades?" she finally asked, and Damon smirked as he looked into her eyes and cocked his head.

_It wasn't. And he had other plans in mind, for that. The look in his eyes said that, loud and clear._

"Ready to go?" the vampire asked, as he slipped on his leather jacket, and she nodded as she re-zipped her own, and they headed for the door.

Damon gestured to her to walk out first as he held the door open, and a few moments later, the two were easily down the hall, and walking towards the elevator to begin their journey.

Damon glanced at the girl as she pressed the button on the elevator to go down, and she struggled to face forward, though the temptation in his gaze as it fell on her was all too much.

He knew exactly what he was doing. And if she let him have his way, there would be no turning back.

XXXX

"Which one do you like better? The blue or the black?" Damon asked as he held up two different throw rugs, and Bonnie rolled her eyes as she gripped the shopping cart, and sighed.

"They both look exactly the same, Damon."

"Bullshit- the blue is better," he concluded, as he tossed it into the cart, and they continued walking throughout the massive factory-styled warehouse. "I just love this place. Don't you?"

Damon's quest to get a "lamp" and "maybe a new dresser," really turned into him picking up twenty-five different things to renovate the apartment with. It was hilarious and annoying, all at once, to watch the vampire making such a big fuss about their living space. Damon was a lot more neurotic than he was willing to admit. It was sort of a breath of fresh air realizing that she wasn't the only crazy one around here.

"This is, by far, the last thing I imagined I'd do, today," Bonnie noted, as they strolled past the dining room area, and Damon continued to glance at everything. "I haven't been to IKEA in ages."

"But aren't you glad you came?" Damon asked. "We now have a new coffee table. And those curtains you picked out. We did real work here."

Bonnie snorted at that, but she was actually fighting really hard to contain her smile that threatened to shine through. A trip to IKEA was, by far, the stupidest, but most refreshing thing she had done in a while. With the stress of the Spring semester finally coming to a close, it felt nice to just relax, for a bit.

Even if her form of "relaxation" involved Damon, and wallpaper options.

"We probably should have invited my brother and Blondie; I think they've been shopping all week for things for their new place," Damon said, and Bonnie sighed.

"Yeah, maybe," she said shortly.

Damon turned to face her, with a curious brow raised to the ceiling, and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Let me guess; you and Barbie are still weird?"

"Not 'weird,' just... taking baby steps," Bonnie offered, and his brows furrowed. "We're on good terms, but I... don't want to rush back into it."

"Rush into it? Bonnie- she's one of your best friends. Not some sketchy guy you met at a bar, or something."

"I know, and that's why I actually care about this, Damon. I want things to go back to normal, but I just need some time to re-adjust. I don't wanna do too much too soon. Besides- she's not out on her own. Laila got her my old job at the bar, and she's meeting so many new people. She's being Caroline, and I'm happy about that."

"Fine, fair enough," Damon said, as he held up his hands passively. "But what about my brother? Are we ever gonna talk about him?"

Bonnie rolled her tongue over her teeth, and shook her head.

Before Bonnie could respond, her cell phone began to ring, and she sighed with relief when she pulled it out of her bag, and glanced at the name on the screen.

_Laila, just in time to distract her from this mind-numbing conversation that she really wanted no part of, to begin with. She'd have to thank her for that, later._

"Hey, what's up?" Bonnie asked, as she held the phone to her ear, and Damon took control of the cart, and they continued to walk.

"So, can you believe I got _four _kegs, an ice luge, and like thirty bottles for tonight? I kind of think I'm over-doing it, since this is all so last minute, but then again- I don't really care. I'm really excited," Laila babbled, and Bonnie's brows furrowed as she bit her lip in confusion.

"Uhm, what?" she asked. "What are you talking about, Laila?"

"My party tonight, of course. To celebrate the end of the semester, and the start of the summer... Did Damon _not _tell you I called this morning while you were in the shower?"

"No, he didn't," Bonnie said, as she averted her eyes to the vampire strongly, and he smirked devilishly. "He didn't say anything about a party."

"My mistake. It must have slipped my mind," he winked, and Bonnie groaned.

"Ugh, well, please tell me that you don't have plans. I'm expecting over a hundred people at my loft tonight, and you're kind of obligated to be there, since we're best friends, and all."

Bonnie glanced at Damon viciously, before she sighed, and clutched her phone tighter.

"Of course I'll be there, Laila. It'll definitely beat putting together my new coffee table at my apartment with Damon," she said slickly, and he feigned a smile.

"Excellent," Laila said. "Be here by ten, that's when everyone should be coming by. See you tonight- get ready for total alcohol domination!"

Bonnie scoffed as Laila hung up, and she turned to face Damon with a less than pleased expression on her face, and he shrugged his shoulders.

"What?"

"Why didn't you tell me that Laila was having this party?" she asked,as she folded her arms, and Damon pursed his lips. "You've known since this morning."

"Probably because you would've talked her out of it, even though _you're _the one who wanted to celebrate." he replied, and Bonnie huffed. "It's like your allergic to fun, or something."

"I'm not allergic to fun," she hissed, and he grinned knowingly. "I just... like doing things that are a bit more low-key, is all."

"Yeah, well, I happen to think one hundred people on the guest list _is _low-key," Damon replied sweetly. "

"Whatever. I don't care; just stay out of my sights tonight. Whenever I'm around you, I end drinking gin and tonic, and manly-guy-beer, and I think I wanna take it easy, tonight."

"Sure thing then, Bon. Me and my 'manly-guy-beer' will stay out of your way," he agreed, and she nodded. "Wuss."

Bonnie scoffed and hit Damon's arm with her fist, and he laughed heartily in return. It seemed as though provoking Bonnie had become his favorite hobby.

"Let's just pay for this stuff and go, okay? I've gotta find something to wear," Bonnie replied.

"I hear your birthday suit is perfectly acceptable."

"You're an ass."

"Oh, don't you know it, Bennett."

xxxxxxx

"So, how do I look?" Caroline asked, as she walked out into the living room, and her black heels clicked against the hardwood floor.

Stefan looked up from his reading, and he nearly forgot what he had been doing before, once he laid eyes on the vivacious blonde.

Caroline was dressed in ruby red, pleated, swing halter dress, and her blonde curls were perfectly layered at her chest. Her pale skin seemed to glow exceptionally well in the light; highlighting her soft makeup, and crystal blue eyes.

He could tell she really went all out for this one.

"Laila said to be dressy, but I hope I'm not too dressy, and-" she began, and Stefan stopped her.

"You look... really beautiful, Caroline," he said, and a warm smile cascaded across her lips. "I mean that."

Caroline bit her lip shyly, and looked to the ground, before back into his perfect, emerald green eyes. Stefan was still watching her, all the while.

"Thank you," she said softly, and he blinked at that. "Really... thanks for... everything, Stefan. For... moving here with me, finding our apartment, putting up with my inability to put my make-up away," she babbled, and he laughed. "You're a great... friend," she said, and he sent her a small smile.

"You are too, Caroline," he answered, and her lights instantly lit up. "A lot better than you know."

There was a long silence between the two, and Caroline sighed as she tucked a strand behind her ear, and approached the mirror on the wall. She pulled her MAC lip gloss and began to apply it, when she heard Stefan stand to his feet, and begin to approach her.

She inhaled a deep breath, and tried to ignore the feeling of her bones tingling as he stood behind her. The burning in his eyes forced her to turn around and face him.

She nearly regretted it when she did.

That chiseled jaw, and that perfect, chestnut flavored, hair; she quickly became enamored by them, though she knew she shouldn't have. This was _Stefan, _and they were just friends; they always had been.

Too bad that didn't stop her from thinking about him the way that she did.

"Do I really have to go to this party?" he finally asked, and Caroline cocked her head. "And this blazer- is it necessary?"

"Yes and yes," Caroline said, and Stefan groaned. "I already told you, Stefan; we live in New York Freakin' City. You're not spending the night here, sulking alone, when there are drinks to be had and morals to be forgotten," she said, and he laughed. "You're going."

"Fine," he relented, and Caroline smiled. "But can we lose the tie, at least? I think I can go without it."

Caroline grinned as she yanked at the bottom of it, and he stumbled in, a bit closer. She gulped as her eyes averted his, and she began to busily adjust the tie.

"I think the tie looks good," she noted. "I command you to wear that as well," she said, and Stefan smiled as she gave him a strong pat on the chest. "Shall we go?"

Stefan nodded, as Caroline grabbed her purse, and began to make her way across the living room. She let out a mini-yelp when he stopped her in her tracks, just before the door, with emerald eyes glowing strongly.

"Stefan?" she asked curiously, and he let out a sigh, before he placed his hands into his pockets. "What's wrong?"

Everything was wrong.

After what Damon said last week—about Caroline apparently having "feelings" for him, and him being too warped to notice it, because a part of him was still hung up on Elena—he'd been thinking about it every single day.

Stefan cleared his throat, as he felt Caroline's eyes on him. He finally looked up from the ground, and shrugged nonchalantly.

"I… wanted to talk to you, about something," he said, and Caroline cocked her head, as her brows scrunched accordingly. "But I—It can wait."

As he turned to walk away, Caroline quickly grabbed his hand, and he stopped. He looked into her questioning blue eyes, and he felt her fingers trail against his, in an extremely slow, but fascinating way.

It completely ruptured his thoughts.

"You can tell me, Stefan," she said softly, and he licked his tongue across his teeth. "What's on your mind?"

Stefan breathed steadily, as Caroline's glance never dropped from his. He'd made a mistake even bringing this up, right now—or _ever. _Maybe he was just better off pretending.

_Maybe he was better off just not caring._

"We're gonna be late—"he began, as he started to move, and Caroline's strength stopped him.

"Better late than never," she said firmly, and he didn't blink. "Seriously, Stefan—"

"Let's just go, okay? Before I completely change my mind," he answered, and Caroline sighed as he removed his hand from her own, and headed towards the door.

She stood there, motionless for a bit, as she took it all in, before grabbing a light jacket, continuing towards him.

She didn't know what Stefan's problem was, and by the tone of his voice, she wasn't going to find out anytime soon.

_This was already shaping up to be an interesting night._

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I've already had five shots of Jack Daniels, and I am not _nearly _as drunk as I want to be," Caroline muttered to Bonnie, as the two girls stood at the counter in Laila's kitchen, with their drinks, surveying some of the party-goers as they went in and out.

"Yeah, well, I've had three, and I have a feeling I'm going to regret it," Bonnie replied, as she smoothed her hands over her fitted and sleeveless beige dress.

It rose just above the knee, and lay open at the back, with sequins at the shoulders—dressy enough for the occasion, without looking like she was about to step foot into the Academy Awards. She tucked her long, dark hair behind her ear, and puckered her red lips, as she tapped her fingers against the counter anxiously.

She was seeing stars already.

"Well, you know what they say, Bonnie—if it's something you're gonna regret in the morning, sleep in late," Caroline offered, as she opened her second beer, and Bonnie let out a small laugh.

She would never get sick of Caroline's reasoning.

"I can't believe so many people are here," Bonnie said, as she glanced around at some of the familiar faces—others, she'd never seen a day in her life. "Laila knows _everyone._"

"She sure does," Caroline said, as she sipped the Bud Light, and then turned to face Bonnie. "Speaking of 'everyone,' where's Damon? I'd imagine he'd have to check in with you, by now," Caroline said, and Bonnie scoffed.

"What makes you say that?" she asked, and Caroline rose her eyebrows knowingly. "Oh, no. Laila got to you, didn't she?"

"I wouldn't agree if it weren't true," Caroline replied, and Bonnie rolled her eyes. "You two are like… _destined, _Bonnie! But you're all content ignoring it," Caroline said, and Bonnie snorted.

"I'm not ignoring anything," Bonnie answered, as her fingers continued to rattle against the counter. "I just… I'm keeping it simple, okay? We're friends—and that's all there is to it."Caroline shook her head in disbelief and let out a sigh. "Besides—what about you and Stefan?"

"What about us?" Caroline asked boldly, and Bonnie laughed.

"Oh, Caroline."

"We're _friends,_" she replied sarcastically. "We're keeping it _simple,_" she added, and Bonnie raised an eyebrow at that.

"That isn't your choice, is it?"

Caroline looked down at her beer and took a long sip, before she gazed back into Bonnie's olive eyes. She finally shook her head, and Bonnie frowned when she noticed the unhappiness in the blonde's eyes. She moved in a bit closer, and Caroline lowered her voice.

"I just… I want to know how he feels, but I'm too afraid to ask him. And I—I think he was going to say something today, but he didn't. He didn't say _anything._"

Bonnie pursed her lips at that, and shrugged lightly.

"Maybe he's just afraid, Caroline—he's scared he might ruin things."

"And I'm not?" Caroline asked, with wide blue eyes. "I'm _terrified _Bonnie, that I feel _so _much for him, and it's like… It's like he doesn't notice, or he doesn't even care. And it sucks—because I know that I shouldn't think that way, but I do. I—I know that he's not over Elena. And who knows if he ever will be."

Bonnie took Caroline's hand into her own, and she let out a sigh.

"You're amazing, Caroline. You are. Because you're beautiful, and strong, and you care, _so much, _about everyone else around you; even when they don't deserve it. And if Stefan doesn't realize what he has, right beneath his nose, then that's his problem. Because you're amazing, and you deserve somebody who isn't afraid to tell you what they feel for you."

Caroline smiled sadly, before pulling Bonnie into a tight hug, and the brunette sighed as her face buried into her shoulder.

_Caroline deserved somebody who wasn't afraid to admit what they felt for her._

_Damon deserved that, too._

When the hug ended, Caroline groaned as she placed her empty beer on the counter, and forged a strong smile on her face.

"I think that we need to dance, now," the blonde said, and Bonnie smiled gently. "Seriously—let's just go out to the living room, and _dance._"

"Okay," Bonnie laughed, as she took Caroline's hand into hers. "Let's just dance."

When the two pushed their way through the drunken crowd, and finally got out to the living room, Bonnie shook her head incredulously at the sight that was laid out before her.

Not only was _no one _dancing, but _Damon _was directly in the middle of all of the action, with a plastic guitar in hand, surrounded by Stefan on the fake drums, and two other girls she didn't know, playing _Rock Band _on Laila's 60 inch television.

The music blared loudly, though Damon's voice outdid everyone's in the room, as he somehow got every person in there singing along with the music playing on the screen.

The song? Bon Jovi's "Livin' On a Prayer."

"They've been doing classic rock for the past hour," Bonnie and Caroline heard, and they turned around to see Laila with a Red Bull and Vodka in hand, before she took a long sip and shook her head. "The Salvatore Brothers are the actual life of the party," she said.

Damon looked completely elated, as he played the finishing chords of the song, and the girls around him erupted into cheers, as he grabbed a beer, and downed in easily.

Bonnie felt the twinge of something swelling within her when one girl, in particular—the one who had been on the mic, actually—wrapped her arms around him, in an extremely lingering hug.

Even worse, Damon was actually _smiling _at her, too.

Bonnie had seen enough.

"Okay, everyone—time for the D.J!" Laila called, almost conveniently, as she made her way over to the T.V and shut it off. "Time to dance—I mean it."

Bonnie's thoughts suddenly got drowned out as the dance music began to play, and the lights disappeared—leaving only the presence of some flashing strobe ones that decorated the room, almost immediately.

The crowd erupted into cheer and began to dance, without a second thought.

_It really was that easy, in New York City._

She watched as Laila and Caroline ran out onto the dance floor, and instead of joining, she walked the opposite way.

She needed a drink. Bad.

Her chest immediately bumped into someone's, and she groaned when she looked up, and she realized it was Damon.

He was smirking, naturally.

"Having fun, yet, Judgy?" he asked, as he placed a glow stick necklace around her, and she sighed as she looked into his eyes.

She didn't know why, but she was infuriated with him.

"I'm great. Move, please," she said, as she attempted to push him out of the way, but Damon stopped her, as he moved into the door way. "Seriously, Damon—"

"Why are you so hostile?" he asked, as Bonnie's green eyes glowed. "It's a party—we're all having fun here."

"Because I need a drink, and you are directly inhibiting me from getting one, right now."

Damon cocked his head at that, and Bonnie watched as he suddenly stopped a girl who was walking by, by the arm, and gazed into her eyes strongly when he caught her attention.

"Sweetheart, I think you should let me have that bottle of tequila, and you can go get another one. Okay?" he asked.

The girl nodded mindlessly, as she handed Damon the bottle, and she walked away just as easily.

Bonnie's mouth dropped, as she hit his shoulder, and he smiled deviously.

"Damon, you can't just _compel_ people here," Bonnie whispered harshly, and he twisted off the top to the bottle, and took back a long sip, before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Oh I can't?" he asked, as Bonnie's eyes narrowed. "Hold on—let me test it out."

Bonnie felt her fists tighten, as he pulled the next girl who walked past in towards him, and his eyes connected with hers, in that hypnotic way that Bonnie had seen far too often.

Before Damon could utter a word, Bonnie yanked him away by the hand, and out into the hallway, where she pushed him against the wall, roughly by his shoulders.

"Seriously, _stop_," she said strongly, and Damon grinned as he took another sip, and his brows furrowed.

"I'm just having fun, Bennett. Relax. It's not like I've fed on anyone, yet."

Bonnie's eyes squinted, as she wondered if she had just heard those words pass his lips, correctly.

"_Yet?"_

"It's been a really long time since I've had anything live, and I'm going crazy here," he said, and she folded her arms. "So, unless you're volunteering—"

"I'm not," she said dryly.

"Fine, your loss," he said, as he handed the bottle of tequila over to her, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "But a guy's gotta eat. And this is my best opportunity. So, if you'll excuse me—I have a co-ed to snatch. If I get this over with quickly, I won't have to bring her home, and you won't have to see her in our kitchen drinking your orange juice," Damon stated, sarcastically.

Bonnie watched on as he walked away, and she felt her frustration only growing with each second. She made her way back into the kitchen, that was deserted by now, as everyone else was around and about Laila's loft, dancing, drinking, smoking, and having a good time.

She inhaled a deep breath as she paced the floor, and she began to feel a strange feeling of anger surfacing with each passing second.

_What was triggering this? Why was she feeling so pissed off?_

Bonnie grabbed a clean shot glass off of the counter, and she quickly filled it with a serving of tequila, before she downed it almost immediately.

She did two more shots, before placing the bottle before her, and resting her hand around the base of it.

"Breathe," she whispered to herself, in the silence of the kitchen. "Just _breathe._"

Bonnie closed her eyes and she inhaled, as she felt the steady rage building within her bones beginning to boil over, despite her best efforts to control it.

She was mad—_enraged, _even, and she had absolutely no idea why.

Was Damon's behavior really enough to get her this upset?

_No, _she thought; or at least it shouldn't have been.

For as long as she'd known him, he'd been a vampire, and this was how he did things. He compelled, fed off of, and manipulated people. She never tried to change that, but she was also never the one to let his behavior go unpunished or unnoticed.

But now—after everything that _she _had become, herself, did she even have the right to judge his decisions or actions? She'd been a monster too—no better than he was—so shouldn't she just chalk this up to the fact that Damon was just being _Damon?_

She didn't know.

Her attention was disrupted when she attempted to leave, and she bumped into another body; this time, one that housed an unfamiliar face.

"Oh, hi—I'm sorry," Bonnie said softly, and the guy before her held up his hands defenselessly.

"No, excuse me—I didn't see you in here," he replied. "Did you… need some help? You seem lost."

"No, I'm not. Laila's my best friend-I know my way around," Bonnie said, as she ran her fingers through her hair, and shook her head. "I'm just really drunk."

"Tequila does that sometimes," he replied, and she smiled lightly, as he cocked his head. "I've had a few bad experiences myself."

Bonnie remained quiet as she watched him, and her eyes studied him longingly before she finally cleared her throat.

"I—I'm, uh, sorry. But have we met?" she asked, and the mystery guy turned to look up at her.

In all of the minutes that had just passed, she was only now beginning to realize just how _striking _he actually was.

His green eyes remained focus hers and his dirty blonde hair shone beneath the lights of the kitchen in such an enamoring way. When he moved Bonnie bit her lip when she realized just how _tall _he was, too.

She liked tall.

"I don't think we have," he said, as he stepped in, and extended his hand, with a warm smile. "My name's Chase; I came in to get a beer."

"Bonnie," she said, with a glimmer in her eyes. "I'm seeing double vision."

Chase laughed gently, as she shook his hand, and he released it just as slowly.

"Don't worry- I won't tell a soul."

She breathed deeply when a strange sense of happiness settled over her.

The fact that she was feeling _happy _in the presence of some guy she didn't even know was already a tell-tale sign that she was pretty wasted.

She wasn't too wasted, though, to realize that he was also really hot, and extremely sweet. She actually felt sort of grateful.

"Thanks," she said gently. "I guess I owe you one."

Chase smiled as he backed away, and made his way over to the Heineken. The silence that passed between them was electrifying.

He grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator, and tossed her one quietly, as she easily caught it in her hands, and remained with her eyes on his.

"Don't make me hold you to that, Bonnie," he winked. "Enjoy the rest of the party."

"You too," she said softly, though the smile on her lips was completely obvious.

_It was much more obvious._

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You're a good dancer," the girl said, as she wrapped her arms around Damon's shoulders, and they moved in rhythm with the song blaring through the stereo system.

The vampire spun the thin brunette in his arms, and she giggled when he pushed her against the wall. Her hazel eyes met his in a strong glare, and Damon immediately knew that he had her exactly where he wanted her.

She was drunk, horny, pretty, careless, and completely reckless—the perfect type that he wanted to feed on. And if he were lucky, he wouldn't even have to compel her to do it.

"Let's go somewhere quiet," the gorgeous brunette drawled, as her hands trailed beneath his shirt, and pulled him in tighter. "Now," she whispered.

Damon smirked at that, as his hand brushed away the strand of her hair that lay on her pale skin, to reveal the vein he'd been eyeing all night.

He turned back towards her.

"You don't wanna do that," he replied, and her nude lips pouted, as her hands rose to his hair. "I'm bad news, my dear," he said, and the girl laughed gently as she shook her head.

"Prove it then," she challenged, and Damon ran his tongue over his teeth. "Show me how _bad _you are."

He glared at the girl, and let out a short laugh. She remained equally amused as his hand was at her neck again, and she bit her lip. Whoever the hell she was—_he hadn't cared enough to get a name—_was making it pretty difficult for him to pretend like he didn't hear the faint sound of her blood pumping through her veins.

With every swing of her hips, and bat of her eyelashes, he felt his fangs growing, and his hunger pangs multiplying.

He wanted blood now. He damn near _craved_ it, in fact.

"I have a fetish," Damon said lowly, and her eyes followed his carefully, as he pursed his lips. "I like to bite—_hard. _I have a thing with… teeth."

Nameless Brunette smiled as she moved in closer towards him, and stroked his hair.

"That's not so bad."

"It's worse than you think," he whispered, and her eyes widened as his slowly flashed to red, and she squinted her eyes.

"How do you do that?" she asked gently, and Damon didn't respond, as his teeth elongated.

Without another word, he placed them to the nape of her neck, and she shut her eyes tightly, as her fingers grasped at his locks, and held his head firmly. Damon's fangs trailed along her skin, and she gasped as they slowly began to pierce her skin.

Suddenly, Damon felt his body being ripped away from the girl's, and he growled when he turned around and the face he saw was none other than Bonnie's, staring at him with angry eyes.

She instantly grabbed him by the hand, and pulled him into a makeshift "dance."

He knew better than that, though; she was about to completely rip him a new one. He could easily make out her enraged eyes in the dark.

"Are you serious, Damon?" she asked angrily, and he smirked as he clutched her hand tighter, and moved with the rhythm of the music.

"I warned you, didn't I?" he said smoothly. Bonnie shook her head in disbelief. "Let's not act like you were surprised, Judgy. You know _exactly _what I'm about. You're not Elena—you've believed it all along."

Bonnie looked down to the ground, and felt her eyesight dizzying much faster than she would have liked.

She really shouldn't have had all of that tequila.

"You're right, Damon," she said, as she looked back up. "I know exactly what you are; and I've never been fooled by it," she said through her teeth, and his blue eyes glowed, even in the almost pitch blackness, that was only illuiminated by the strobes that flashed continuously. "You're cold, and you're angry. And vindictive. A—And you're an asshole; you are probably the _biggest _asshole that I know, because you don't care about anything," she accused.

Damon spun her around to face him, and his head cocked.

"And you're jealous," he said firmly, and her brows furrowed. "You're jealous that this _cold, angry, vindictive, asshole _would even dare to pay any attention to somebody who wasn't you, tonight, aren't you?" he asked, as he moved in towards her, and Bonnie stood tall.

"Why would I be upset about that? We're not dating-"

"You know exactly why," Damon snapped back, and she pursed her lips. "Because it's you, Bonnie—it's always and only supposed to be _you. _And you're kidding yourself if you think that it'll _ever _be anybody other than _me,_" he said, and she shook her head angrily.

Bonnie felt the tingling behind her fingers again, as she stared at him, and cursed herself when she could still make out every single feature of his perfect face.

Damon moved in a step closer, and she shook her head, as she backed up.

"Get away from me, Damon."

"Why?" he asked roughly. "Afraid you might do something that you _actually _want to do?" he asked, and she gulped silently, though the music blared throughout her head.

_That's exactly what she was afraid of._

She figured this would be a bright time to tell him that she didn't exactly mean everything she had just said; about him being cold, and careless, and angry. Because she knew him better than that- she knew there much more to Damon Salvatore than met the eye, and if you had asked her on any other day to describe him, those wouldn't have been the words to come to mind, after all that they had been through. Not at all.

He had been right about her, though; she was completely jealous of the girls that he had been talking to and hanging all over the entire night- without a doubt. Because she knew that he was just doing it to anger her, and it had actually worked.

Her pride, however, would never let her admit to that; she could never say that Damon had been successful in making her feel things she didn't want to feel, because in her eyes, that made her weak.

She didn't want to need him, this much. She didn't want to _want _him, either.

His hand pressed to her waist, and she wanted to singe his fingers off for making her feel such fire beneath her skin. She shut her eyes, and the buzzing within her veins only grew as his hand cautiously slid down her thigh, and comfortably smoothed up beneath the bottom of her dress.

She bit her lip. He was driving her absolutely crazy.

"It's me, Bonnie," he said gently, onto her ear, as his fingers continued to explore her skin, in a painfully slow way. "You don't have to be afraid of me."

Bonnie gulped as she re-opened her eyes and they met his. A shiver ran down her spine when she realized his touch was only rising higher, and his eyes were lingering longer.

"Maybe I'm the one who scares me," she said so quietly, she was sure he was the only one who heard her.

"Well, you don't scare me, Bennett- you never did," he replied, and Bonnie inhaled as he stepped in closer.

His lips connected with her neck, and Bonnie's hands immediately clutched his hair; drawing him in, even further. They continued to move with the rhythm of beat, and Bonnie felt an all new euphoria running through her, as Damon's fangs brushed against her throat.

She didn't know why, but it turned her on.

"Let's get out of here," Damon said, in a nearly inaudible whisper, and Bonnie nodded blankly, as he took her hand into his, and led her towards the door.

She didn't bother to re-adjust herself, at this point, as he led them out of the room, and through the flood of party-goers still dancing in the hallway.

By the looks of it, she was going to be a complete fucking mess before the night was through, if Damon had anything to do with it.

And by the way he was gripping her hand as they walked out of the loft, and almost urgently towards the elevator, _he was completely going to have everything to do with it._

_She definitely planned on sleeping in late, tomorrow morning._

A/N: Hello, everybody! So, my flight to San Diego out of NY got cancelled because of that nasty hurricane we got here, and as a result, I channeled all my frustrations into a brand new chapter. Yay for having lots of time on my hands! haha. What did you all think about this one? From Bamon banter in the beginning, the flashback, to IKEA, to some unsaid stuff between Steroline, to the party, to BAMON moments at the party? ;) thoughts on what happens next? R&R! & thank you, as always, for reading. I love your feedback!


	8. Two Way Street

**Two Way Street**

"And there's no conspiracy, behind the way two hearts meet,  
When love is a two way, love is a two way street,  
And I think I'm ready, to let you get under my skin,  
I can't make you fall for me; Love is a two way street"

-Kimbra

Damon breathed deeply, as his back landed hard against Bonnie's bed, and the girl slowly moved towards him, in a mixture of sensual, but sexually frustrating, glory. He remained silent as she stripped off her jacket, and she bit her lip shyly when she realized his eyes were so obviously transfixed on her.

_And only her._

She looked to the ground, and tried to compose her thoughts as quickly as possible.

They'd left Laila's party after she'd called him out on his lack of "discretion," among other things, when he was attempting to feed on some random girl he'd met on the dance floor. Damon, in turn, challenged her to take a look in the mirror, and with usual accordance, her own reflection held something much deeper than she was willing to reveal on the surface.

Or so she thought.

The minute Damon's fingers pressed to her waist—_his lips moved against her neck—_she knew that she couldn't ignore this, anymore. Rather, he wouldn't _allow _her to ignore him, anymore, either.

He'd made that perfectly clear when he took her by the hand, whisked her out of the apartment, and brought her back here, to their own place, where she was sure they were going to bypass a lot of the talking they had been doing lately, and become much busier with something else.

She tremble just thinking about it.

When she finally looked up into his eyes, Bonnie slowly reveled in the fact that this was it; if they did this, there'd be no turning back and pretending to be "just friends," anymore. It would mean a lot, to her—just like it did before—and she contemplated whether or not she was ready to take that step, or not.

She had been reluctantly happy enough with just regaining Damon's friendship again, though he was making it quite clear that was not all that he had come for. But she gave it an honest shot, anyway; because had to at least _try _to resist him, though she was sure her attempts had been futile, at this point.

She studied him, intently, as he lay against her mattress, and her breath got caught in her chest.

From his black button down, to his dark pants, to the gray designer blazer she had convinced him to wear, he was _flawless. _She quickly became enamored by the way his usually messy dark hair was slicked back—almost tamed—and the paleness in his porcelain skin as it glowed beneath the dim bedroom light.

She really hated that after all of this time, she was still finding so many new ways, and so many new things, to become captivated by, when it came to him.

She hated that everything that he said was one hundred percent right, down to the core; he _was _the only one, and he probably always would be. Was there any use in denying, avoiding, or evading the fact, any longer?

Bonnie breathed in, as she began to kneel down to remove her heels, but Damon's voice stopped her.

Her olive eyes searched his, and he offered a gentle smile in return that made her heart skip a beat.

"_You weren't thinking of taking those off… were you?"_

Bonnie opened her mouth to speak, and she realized she couldn't.

She'd been bold enough to drag him into her bedroom, shut the door behind them, and throw him onto his back with all of the strength that she had left, but that didn't mean that she was suddenly the most fearless being on the planet.

Not at all.

For once in her life, she had actually been rendered speechless; stripped of any witty remarks, and void of any comebacks, completely. Her mind dizzied at that.

_She hoped it was just the alcohol talking. Sadly, she knew better._

Bonnie shook her head "no," in response, and his eyes lit up imaginatively, as she straightened up, again, and simply stood before him. Seconds felt like hours, as the time ticked on, and her body honestly ached from this tension that stood blazingly clear between them.

She felt herself succumbing to a slow death when she realized it; he _wanted _this. He wanted her to drive herself completely insane, with these thoughts about nothing or everything, and this incredibly stifling moment where he was completely seducing her, _without _really seducing her, at all. He'd known her subconscious would begin to chip away at her tough exterior, sooner or later, and all he would have to do was wait and watch; with those flawless eyes, and that settled glare, until she completely snapped, and decided the anticipation was all too much to bear.

Just by standing here, Damon was doing far more than the naked eye could have imagined, and he was completely aware of it all.

And for once, she was going to bite the bullet.

She finally began to near him, again, as he lay back comfortably, against her pillow; just staring at her, as if she were the first woman he had ever seen in his entire life—_that made her feel good._

Bonnie smoothed her hands over her dress, and she, slowly but surely, climbed into her bed to join him, without another moment of hesitation.

Damon watched on, in quiet satisfaction, as she straddled onto his lap, and her eyes finally met his.

She offered a nervous smile, and he couldn't help but smirk in response.

It was a step; a huge one, for her, and he knew that. And he was quite grateful that she had decided against her will, and had reluctantly taken the first one.

Bonnie breathed silently, and Damon's hands smoothed along her back; forcing a sigh of relief to finally escape from her lips. When he gently brought both hands to her cheeks, and Bonnie inhaled deeply when his fingers softly grazed along her jaw. He pulled her in slightly, and she felt her heartbeat suddenly increased when his touch slid down to her neck, and her face was buried against his shoulder. Bonnie gulped a little when she realized that he could hear it; every pound, every blare, as her heart leapt inside of her chest, and provided the soundtrack to her very early destruction.

And what a soundtrack it was.

Between the mixed noises of her heart racing, and the gentle breaths that escaped his lips, she had concluded that she was halfway towards clinically insane. She didn't know how, or why, she was withstanding this, but with each moment that floated on, she becoming even more anxious than she had been, before.

Would this all be a mistake? Would she regret it in the morning? Would she actually _like _it, like she had once before? There was only one way to find out. And luckily enough for her, it seemed as though Damon was more than willing to explore her curiosity, as well.

Damon tucked a strand of her loose hair behind her ear, and she shivered at the pure, innocent motion, as her mind delved deeper into a bunch of actions that were just the opposite. His lips, perfectly pale to match the rest of him, placed a gentle kiss at the nape of her neck, and she nearly lost it, this time, when she realized just how they were, in proximity.

Her hands slowly moved against the front of his shirt, and she shut her eyes, as she searched herself for a bit of clarity.

She was fighting for this, as much as she was fighting against it, whether she wanted to believe it or not. And as each second of her emotional battle moved on, she was beginning to realize it; she needed to choose the side where her loyalties lay.

And the answer may have come to her much quicker than she'd imagined.

"Are you going to kiss me or not?" he asked, and Bonnie's eyes widened, as she suddenly looked into his, and rose a brow.

Damon's smug smirk remained.

He was testing her.

"Not with that attitude," she replied hastily, and he bit his lip. "You're a jerk, you know that, right?" Bonnie added, and Damon smiled when he realized her hands were only pressing harder against his chest, and keeping him in place.

He almost growled at her sudden prowess.

"And you are _sexy;_ especially in those shoes," he replied, and she rolled her eyes in annoyance, though, just the sound of his velvet voice made goose bumps rise all over her body. "You know I just love it when you get a little sassy, Judgy."

"Shut up," she replied, though her lips were burning, just looking at his. "Just… stop, with all of this, Damon."

His blue eyes twinkled as they gazed into hers, and she felt her fingers tightening at his shirt, though all she _needed _to do, in this moment, was let go.

_Too bad that wasn't what she wanted._

"Make me," he answered firmly, as he sat up, with the girl still poised in his lap. "Why don't you try to stop me?" he challenged.

Bonnie's hand gripped at his neck, and suddenly pushed him back against the bed, as she leaned in for a kiss that surprised Damon as much as it surprised her, too. She felt sudden elation, as their lips met in a long lock, that seemed to stop time and space, all together.

And once she started it, she couldn't stop.

Bonnie's lips collided with Damon's over and over again, and he moaned as her tongue moved along his, in rapid rhythm.

He separated from her long enough to look into her eyes, and grin at the remarkable fire that was behind them. She attempted to push him at the shoulders, again, but she gasped when she felt Damon flip her beneath him.

She struggled to catch her breath when she saw the flash of red in his eyes, and his sharpened fangs sneak beyond his lips as he smiled.

_She was playing with fire, with the Devil, himself._

Bonnie shivered as his mouth pressed along her collarbone, and she felt the familiar graze of his teeth traveling along her skin. She held onto his raven hair, tightly, as she felt his hands slowly rise along her thighs, and beneath her dress that she was, magically, still wearing.

She counteracted by viciously pulling at his tie, and quickly removing his blazer that he was still wearing, as well. Damon seemed intent on beating her in some race, though, as he somehow tore through her fabric, and tossed the shreds of the overpriced dress to the ground, with little effort at all.

She was convinced she'd have no more clothes in her wardrobe, when he was finished with her.

By the time she half-unbuttoned his shirt, his lips were already down to her stomach, and she was breathing so harshly, she wasn't sure she'd have any air left in her lungs, at the end of this all.

His lips came back up to meet hers, and Bonnie quickly savored the moment, as she wrapped her legs around his waist, and her arms around his shoulders. Damon grabbed her firmly at the cheeks, and kissed her so longingly, she was still wondering how she hadn't passed out from the intensity, just yet.

It all seemed like a blur, as his shirt and his pants finally came off, and Bonnie's nail scraped along his back, in fluid motion.

When she found herself on top of him, again, she stopped for a minute, to search his eyes, completely, while they stared into hers.

_He was everything that she wanted._

From his snarky ways, to his wit, to his confidence, to his heart; Damon had been, and always would be, that _one guy, _for her. He was the guy that you'd regrettably fallen for, with every reason, and no reason, at all. He was the guy who was completely wrong, but also undeniably good for you, whether you wanted to believe it, or not. He was trouble, but he was safe—as he made it his number one priority to protect the things—and people—that he loved, just as fiercely and strongly as she did.

_He was that guy that—despite all of the drama, hurt, pain, and turmoil you had been through—you could never really let him go, or forget him; no matter how hard you tried._

_And she tried; she tried for a year._

"I can make you," she finally said, and his lips turned with delight, as the sudden confidence spilled from her mouth and onto his ears, while they stared at one another, combatively. "I can show you control, if that's what you really want, Damon. You told me not to be afraid of you, so I'm not… You don't scare me."

The vampire licked his teeth smoothly, and she didn't bother to suppress the moan that formed at her lips, when his hands rose to her shoulders. He pushed away the straps of her black bra, before finally heading for the back, and gently unhooking it, with no effort at all.

She didn't bother to say a word, as she continued to look into his eyes, torturously. Damon brought his lips to her shoulder, before moving them along to her skin, and Bonnie inhaled a deep breath when they pressed to her ear, and whispered just what had been on his mind, all along.

"_But just how badly I want you, might."_

And with that, a sudden burst of euphoria shot through her veins, as Damon's fangs pierced into her skin.

xxxxxxx

"_Enjoying the party?"_

Caroline turned around to see Stefan standing there, with a complacent look on her face, as she turned away from the excellent view of the city that he had been enjoying, from Laila's quiet balcony.

She'd come out here a half hour ago just to think, when she found that she needed to escape the crazy hustle and bustle of everything going on in the party. She may have been a party girl back in Mystic falls, but New York City was a completely different story.

She was practically an amateur, here, so she figured she might as well cut her losses, for the night, and accept defeat, just this once.

She'd get the hang of it, eventually. But for now; staring out at the city's skyscrapers was much more appealing. It was even better now that it seemed like she actually had a bit of company.

Stefan stopped next to her, and she didn't face him, immediately, though she felt his forest green eyes burning through her. She tapped her fingers against her beer bottle, instead, and cleared her throat.

"I've got everything I need to enjoy this one," she said, before taking a sip, and he smiled. "Sorry I couldn't be like you—tearin' the place up with my _Rock Band _skills," she teased, and he let out a short laugh at that one.

Parties had never been Stefan Salvatore's "thing," and even after being deemed one half of the life of this one, he still wasn't convinced he was any good at it. He concluded that Damon made a much better drinker, dancer, and socialite than he ever could be—he honestly wasn't sure what Caroline was expecting by dragging him out tonight, anyway.

"Damon's idea, not mine. In case you haven't noticed… this is more of my speed," he said, as he tipped his own glass towards the air, and she scoffed.

"Standing on a balcony, while other people are taking jello shots, and doing keg stands?" she asked.

"Standing on a balcony, with _you,_" he corrected, and she bit her lip. "You… change everything."

The two stood there, silently leaning against the ledge, for a few moments, before she finally decided to speak again. The fact that he had just told her that she "changed everything" was overwhelming, enough. If she bothered to overthink his kind, but extremely simple, words, she'd probably drive herself crazy.

And she didn't do well when she was crazy.

"Have you seen Bonnie?" she asked suddenly, as she turned to face him, and his eyes searched her own. "I've been calling her, and texting her, and she hasn't been answering. It's… weird."

Stefan took another sip of his drink, and ran his fingers through his caramel hair. Caroline had to try her best not to melt, right then, and there, when he looked back at her, with a gentle smirk.

"Damon," he offered, and her eyes squinted. "They, uh… left together, an hour ago. I'm guessing we'll hear all about it, tomorrow," he said, and Caroline scoffed in disbelief as she folded her arms.

"Bullshit," she said, as she shook her head. "She said they're 'just friends,' she wouldn't do that," Caroline answered, and Stefan shrugged as he stuffed one hand in his pocket, and looked back at her.

"Or… maybe she would, Caroline. After all, is anybody ever really 'just friends,' nowadays?" he asked, and Caroline gulped at that.

Instead of responding that very second, she looked back out at the illuminated buildings, and took another sip of her drink. The silence between she and Stefan was deafening, though the sounds of the taxis, muffled music, and people down below should have been enough to break this moment.

But it wasn't; for it felt like it was just she and him, again—just like it had always been. Especially after she had gone through her breakup with Tyler, and he went through his with Elena.

It'd always felt like it was only them, and that was completely the problem; because there was no 'them,' at all.

"What do you consider us, then?" she asked abruptly, and Stefan tore his drink away from his lips long enough to clear his throat, and look into her shining blue eyes. He licked his tongue over his teeth, and finally shrugged with a content smile.

"Best friends," he replied, confidently. "We're… best friends."

Caroline let out a short scoff, as she finished off her beer, and nodded.

"Right. Best friends," she echoed, and Stefan's brows immediately furrowed as he realized the discomfort in her voice as the forsaken words passed her lips.

He continued to study her for a bit, before moving in a bit closer, and cocking his head in her direction.

"Caroline?" he asked, and the girl didn't reply, as she continued to look out at the breathtaking scene before them, as though he wasn't there.

Suddenly, all she wanted to do was end this night, as quickly as possible. Maybe then she could realize that having feelings for Stefan Salvatore, at all, had been the biggest mistake of her life, so far.

He let out a long breath as he stepped in closer, and unexpectedly placed his hands at her shoulders, and she spun around to meet him. Her eyes immediately collided with his forest green ones, and she gulped silently, when she noted the sincerity beneath them.

It had always been like this, between them.

He upset her, she gave him a bitchy attitude, and then he looked at her, and she fell for him, all over again.

She'd told herself, repeatedly, that she wouldn't let it happen; that she would stop herself from falling for some guy who was still in love with his ex-girlfriend, because this situation was entirely hopeless.

Stefan would never fall _out _of love with Elena Gilbert, and given the chance to be with her, again, she knew that he wouldn't think twice about taking it.

And that's where they differed.

When Caroline had broken up with Tyler Lockwood, she was upset, yes, but she didn't break; she decided to look on the bright side, instead. She was heartbroken, but she was still alive; and she would be, forever. She figured she might as well begin to do the things that _she _really wanted to do, while focusing on her, for a change. The breakup had been tough, but she took it in stride, like only Caroline Forbes knew how.

She took cooking classes. She learned how to play the piano. She went to Rome for the summer. She dyed her hair too many colors before realizing that she made the perfect blonde. She did what made her happy, and most importantly, she learned how to feel whole, on her own. If she could thank Tyler Lockwood for anything, it was that—helping her to realize that her life hadn't ended, but it was only just beginning.

Stefan Salvatore, however, had not been so lucky. In fact, he had been Caroline's direct opposite.

Following the breakup with Elena he didn't eat, leave bed, or talk, for days. He was crushed, beyond belief, when he realized that all that he had done and all that he had been through had been for nothing—the girl that he loved had fallen out of love with him, and there was nothing he could do about it.

She'd remained a human, and she wanted to finally live like one; without the pressure of "forever" and without the drama of the supernatural. And just like that, Stefan Salvatore had no longer been a part of her life, as she, Jeremy, and Matt packed up, and left Mystic Falls, forever.

And she'd left him with a broken heart for just as long, to match.

And even with the encouragement of his brother and Caroline to move on with his life, he never could, completely. Elena had been everything to him; his humanity, his air, his love, and his redemption.

Losing all of that made him feel as though he'd lost himself. And though he had Caroline here, as his best friend and biggest support system around, he still couldn't help but feel a bit misplaced when he looked back on things.

Caroline had found herself, and he had completely lost himself. And even with all of the encouragement in the world, he wasn't sure he'd ever find out who he was, ever again.

_And he didn't believe that he'd ever be the man that Caroline Forbes so rightfully deserved._

"Let's just go," she said, as she turned to him, with a forced smile, though the hope in her eyes had completely vanished. "I just—I feel really drunk, and stupid, and I want to go home now, if that's fine with you."

Stefan didn't say a word as he watched Caroline gather her jacket, and pull it on silently, before heading for the sliding door. He stopped her by the wrist before she walked in, and when she turned to face him, somberness in her bold blue eyes nearly broke his heart.

He inhaled longingly before speaking.

"I'm not good for you, Caroline," he said gently, and he watched as her lips pursed tightly, before he placed his beer down, and stuffed both hands into his pockets. "I—I know how you feel, okay? And I haven't been ignoring it, I just—"

"Have been avoiding it," she filled in flatly, and he bit his lip. "Listen, Stefan; I can make my own choices, okay? And though I think… falling for you is a… pretty stupid one, it's still my own. And you can't tell me not to feel this way just because you think I'm better off—"

"I know you're better off," he cut in. "And that's the point, Caroline—you are so much better than I am. You have… so much ahead of you; so much more of the world to see, and I'm just… that guy from back home, who fell in love with your best friend. Why would even want to get involved?"

Caroline stood there quietly as she watched the seriousness in Stefan's gaze take over. She didn't let it scare her, though, as she stood taller, and placed her hands on her hips with obvious assurance. He breathed softly at that.

"Because you're… everything I've ever wanted, Stefan; and everything I could never have," she replied, and the green-eyed vampire softened at her words. "You're sweet with a side of kick-ass that comes out when it needs to. You're serious, but you're fun; a lot more fun than you think that you are. You… made me feel like I was worth something, when everybody else stopped believing in me—but you didn't. You never gave up, even when I thought that I was a lost cause. And…I know that I'll never be Elena; hell, I'll never be _half _of Elena—but somehow… you were the first person who made me feel like that was okay. Like I didn't have to be _her _to matter to someone, and I'll never forget that, Stefan. I'll never forget that you made me realize that I _am _someone, and I _do _matter—and whether or not you want to believe it… you're the single best thing that's ever happened to me. And I know that I'm the best thing to happen to you, too."

Stefan nodded reluctantly as he pressed his lips.

"You have been the _greatest_ thing, Caroline—"

"So, look me in the eyes, and tell me that you're not feeling this as much as I am," she challenged, and he licked his teeth. "Just tell me the _truth._"

Stefan looked down to the ground as he heard Caroline's footsteps near him softly, and when he looked up, the girl was gazing at him with such a strong look of determination on his face, that it made his heart crumble.

He didn't want to hurt her; it was the last thing he ever wanted to do to Caroline Forbes and whether she wanted to trust him or not, this _was _hurting her.

He wasn't nearly a thing that she needed, but somehow, he was all that she deserved.

Because she deserved anything and everything that she could have ever wanted.

Caroline's hand landed on his cheek, and he stood paralyzed, as her thumb moved gently along his jaw.

"Caroline, I—"

Her finger pressed to his lips and Stefan stopped as she moved in a step closer.

"You don't have to say it tonight, Stefan; or even tomorrow," she stated, and he sighed softly, as her blue eyes followed his. "But you do have to say, one day… Because I know what I want, Stefan. And if you can't give that to me, eventually, I'll find it with someone else."

Stefan sighed, as her hands dropped, and she turned around and opened the screen door.

He was left standing there, alone, as he listened to the sound of the music fading and the barrier closing between them, while his eyes watched her disappearing into the crowd.

_She was right._

If he couldn't eventually _be _what she needed, he didn't deserve her, at all. The biggest question now was whether or not he'd be able to come to terms with this, and his feelings, before it was all too late.

He picked up his beer, and gulped down the rest of it, before he turned back to the balcony and looked out at the night time sky.

He wasn't sure what he would do, and he wasn't sure what he would say, but he knew one thing was for certain; this wasn't the end of this conversation—nowhere close.

_In fact, it was just the beginning._

xxxxxxx

Bonnie moaned softly as she buried her head against her pillow, and she breathed softly as she opened her eyes to the morning sunlight.

She was up and awake; not by choice, she was certain, as the rays of light beamed through her opened window, and awakened all of her senses—much to her dismay. Her eyes glanced at the clock, and she yawned when the numbers blared brightly as her vision adjusted.

_10 A.M. Also known as "way too early," in her book._

She settled back against the mattress—flipping over to find comfortable positioning, and that was when her eyes caught sight of him; a sleeping Damon Salvatore at her side, as the vampire lay sprawled across her sheets, with nothing but her blanket covering his torso.

_Barely._

She observed him quietly, and she watched his gentle, but seemingly involuntary breathing as he slept—_did vampires actually breathe? She'd never realized that._

Her dark hair was ruffled, but seemed glossy beneath the natural light, and his broad frame seemed to fill her bed much easier than she had imagined it would.

They didn't cuddle after having sex—she was way too prideful for that—but that didn't stop Damon from taking up residency in her personal space, anyway.

And though she wanted to kick him out just to prove a point, she didn't; because she realized that letting him stay proved an even bigger one—that she wasn't going to let one extremely liberating sex romp change things, though there was a 99.9 percent chance that it would.

She wasn't going to let Damon, or his charm, wit, and persistence get in the way of her common sense. It was straight-forward, no frills sex, and just because they had done it didn't mean that they were married. She was going to play it cool, and god-willingly, he would her.

Or so she hoped.

"You're not getting soft on me are ya, Bennett?" she heard, and Bonnie snapped out of her thoughts to meet Damon's bright blue eyes, as they stared into hers curiously, as he still lay against her pillow.

Bonnie scoffed immediately, and shifted onto her back, where she suddenly became focused on nothing but the ceiling, and the imaginary interest she had in it.

_So much for playing it cool._

"You were snoring. I was waiting for you to wake up or shut up," she snapped, and Damon grinned as he stretched his toned arms, and propped himself up on his elbow.

She wanted to personally scowl for just how sexy she imagined he looked, right now.

"Did you want me to wake up so we could get back to business, or did you want me to shut up, so that I could be your sex slave, and you would be able to have your way with me, again?" he asked boldly, and Bonnie sneered, though she was sure her cheeks were all shades of fuchsia.

"Don't be a pig," she answered, and Damon smiled as he moved in a bit closer, and he heard her heartbeat speed up.

"You can't just tease me with all this verbal foreplay in the morning, and not comply, Judgy. It's just not right."

Bonnie rolled her eyes as she finally sat up, and pulled her comforter to her bare chest. Her eyes searched the ground for her bra, and she groaned when she saw that it was halfway across her bedroom. Damon's eyes met hers, and he cocked his head with satisfaction as she folded her arms across her body.

She was not amused.

"Would you like me to get that for you?" he asked sweetly, and she nodded begrudgingly in response.

He may have seen her naked last night, but that was in the dark, when she had alcohol in her system, and she was feeling like some sort of Sex Goddess Queen. Today? Well, she felt lame, and messy, and exposed.

And she didn't want Damon Salvatore staring at her boobs.

The Salvatore easily hopped out of bed, in the complete nude, and she watched as he quickly pulled on his boxers before heading over to her bra that lay haphazardly before the closet door.

He picked it up, and swirled it around his fingers before walking back over, and climbing back into bed.

"Turn around," he said.

"What?" Bonnie asked with furrowed brows. "Just give me my bra, and _you _turn around."

"I probably won't turn around," he confessed, and Bonnie's eyes deadpanned on his that were rapid with disobedience. "Besides, I have a better idea. Indulge me, why don't you?"

She growled at that, but turned around, with compliance.

She'd _indulged _him enough, last night, to be honest.

Bonnie remained silent as she felt Damon shift on the bed right behind her, and with careful precision, he looped her arms through her bra straps, and carefully placed the cups over her chest, with quiet calculation. She bit her lip silently when she felt him hooking it closed, in the back. She was also pretty impressed that he got it right the first time around.

"There," he whispered onto her ear. "Not so exposed anymore," he said, and she let out a short laugh, though she didn't face him.

"You're good at that—_too _good. Is there something you're not telling me, Damon? Like… I don't know—you were a drag queen, in your past life?" she asked lightly, and Damon laughed gently, as his palms now smoothed up and down her arms, and goose bumps rose all along her skin.

"Anything to deny how satisfied you are with me, right?" he asked onto her neck, and Bonnie shut her eyes when he began to plant tender kisses all along her skin.

It felt like pure electricity between them, as Damon's hands smoothed along her stomach, and his lips connected with her shoulder in such a spectacular way, she was sure she should have melted by now.

_And she was._

As his kisses became deeper—more profound—as they traveled down her back, and over her spine, in such slow succession, she'd nearly lost her mind, again.

She was thinking that she did, when she suddenly turned around, and pulled him in by the shoulders, even tighter. Damon grinned before pushing down onto her back, and meeting his lips with hers, over and over, again, as his hands continued to explore every square inch of her body.

"We should be getting out of bed, not finding ways to stay in it," she warned, as he swallowed her lips between words, and Damon scoffed when he stopped for a minute, to let her catch her breath.

"Why? Morning sex is the breakfast of champions," he informed, as he wiggled a brow.

Before she could respond, she heard a knocking on the front door to the apartment, and she sighed as she waved her hand dismissively.

"Case and point: we get visitors at 10 A.M. That means we have to actually get up," she said, as she began to move, but Damon pinned her in place. "Damon—"

"What if I set the clocks back? Does 7 A.M work for you?" he joked, and she sent him an unenthusiastic stare before pushing him aside, and standing to her feet. She grabbed her robe, quickly, and slipped it on over her body, as Damon continued to lounge.

It was painful even pretending like she wanted to tear herself away from him, right now, honestly.

"6 A.M," he bartered, as Bonnie neared the bedroom door knob. "6:30."

She stopped in her tracks and turned to face him, as a seductive glint shone in his eyes, and she cursed the fact that somebody was here so fucking early to pull her away from this.

It may have been for the best, but it felt like it was for the worst, with the way he was looking at her.

"Give me 5 minutes," she said, and Damon felt a slow grin spread onto his face, as he watched her stroll out of the room, and shut the door behind him.

_She was going to be lucky if he even decided to wait that long._

xxxxxxx

Bonnie shuffled towards the door, as the visitor knocked again, and she let out an exasperated sigh.

"Coming!" she called, as she tightened her robe around herself, and when she twisted the lock and pulled open the door, she wasn't surprised at all, to see the brunette who was standing before her with a pair of Ray Bans on, and two cups of coffee in hand: Laila.

"Hey," Bonnie breathed, "Here so early?" she asked, though it was typical routine for her best friend to show up this early, on a normal day.

She guessed she just half expected Laila to still be sleeping, right now. She did just throw the rager of the century, the night before.

"I've been up cleaning like a maniac since this morning," she said, as she walked in past Bonnie, and pushed her glasses away from her eyes. "I couldn't sleep until all of the beer cans were away."

Bonnie sighed as she locked the door behind her, and followed her to the couch. Laila sat down with a sigh, and handed her the cup of coffee.

"You could have called me, Laila—you know I would have helped," she offered, and Laila snorted, as she took a sip from her cup, and cocked her head.

"What, and interrupt your little flirt fest with Damon? I don't think so," she said, and Bonnie's eyes narrowed. "I saw you two last night—arguing like a married couple. Did you guys _finally _bone each other, and get rid of all of that sexual tension?" she asked curiously, and Bonnie scoffed, as she looked down at her cup.

Laila's eyes immediately widened, and her hand landed firmly on the couch.

"No…" she said in disbelief, and Bonnie pursed her lips in response. "You got laid, didn't you, Bonnie Bennett? You're glowing!"

"I'm not glowing," Bonnie said between her teeth, as her face suddenly flushed, and she abruptly sat down in her seat.

"The hell you are," Laila smirked. "And look at your neck!" she shrieked, as she moved in closer, and placed to fingers to Bonnie's bite marks that she had completely forgotten were there. "You Southerners are _kinky,_" Laila winked, and Bonnie growled.

"A little louder, Laila—someone down at Times Square didn't hear you," she said dryly, and the girl only grinned giddily in response. "Seriously—he's in the next room. Can we…" she trailed off, in a low tone, though Laila seemed to be bouncing at the heels, anyway.

Bonnie placed a shy hand over her neck, as she silently sipped her coffee, and Laila bit her lip gently.

"What?" Bonnie asked.

"So now that you and Damon are an item—"

"We're not an item," Bonnie said sharply, and Laila rolled her eyes. "We just…"

"Had really, really great sex that you're probably going to have, again, the minute I leave here? Yeah, nice try," Laila informed, and Bonnie's jaw ticked. "I suppose I can rip _this _up, then."

Bonnie watched as Laila pulled a folded up piece of paper out of her purse, and handed it over to Bonnie, as the girl glanced at her curiously.

"What is this?" Bonnie asked, as she opened it, and realized that it was a phone number.

"That hot blonde guy, Chase, you ran into in my kitchen, or something. I caught up with him later on at the party, and he was pretty insistent that I give you his number. He was gushing all about you, hon."

Bonnie ran her tongue over her teeth as her memory flashed back to the mysterious stranger that she had run into inside of Laila's kitchen, and she shook her head.

He actually remembered her?

"Yeah… I remember him," Bonnie said distantly, as she stared at the number, and then looked back up at Laila. "Did we have class with him at NYU, or something?"

Laila thought for a second before shrugging, and taking another sip.

"I maybe had Anthro with him… or Global History… or maybe I saw him at a bar. I don't know, honestly," Laila confessed dismissively. "Are you gonna call him?"

Bonnie snorted as she shook her head, and placed the number on the table.

"Of course not. I don't even know him."

"And you don't care to… Not while you've got Mr. America, back there, waiting to fulfill your each and every desire," Laila winked.

Before Bonnie could grumble anything in response, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching down the hallway, and moments later, Damon was walking past them, and into the kitchen, in nothing but his boxers, still, and a complacent expression on his face.

_He'd heard everything. She knew it._

"Laila, morning," he winked, and the girl waved in response with a smirk. "What brings you here so early?" he asked, as he opened the cupboard, and Laila sat up straighter as she glanced over at him.

"Oh, nothing. Just checking up on Bonnie here; making sure everything is in order… She's got a nasty bruise on her neck—almost looks like teeth," she said sarcastically, and Bonnie's eyes widened as she stared at her.

Damon grinned as he started the coffee maker, and looked up.

"I wonder how that got there."

"Hm," Laila smiled, and Bonnie rolled her eyes.

She hated when they talked about her like she wasn't there.

"Anyway," Laila clapped her hands together, and rose to her feet. "I just came by to drop that off, and see how my favorite roomies were holding up. Things seem okay here, so I'm gonna go," she announced as she stood to her feet, and grabbed her bag.

Bonnie gave her nothing but a death glare as she neared the door, and Damon cleared his throat before she was completely through it.

"I'll, uh… be sure to check out that bruise," he winked.

Laila only smiled in return before she walked out. Once Bonnie slammed the door behind her, she sent Damon a strong gaze before he looked up to meet her vicious eyes.

He only smiled.

"I take it she knows?" he asked dumbly, and Bonnie exhaled as she folded her arms over her chest, and shook her head.

"Why didn't you tell me about the bite marks, Damon? I would have at least tried to cover them up."

"Oh, I don't know, Bonnie—because you were _there _when they happened, remember?" he asked, and she rolled her eyes, as he slowly began to walk over. "Besides… they're not that bad. I restrained myself."

"Oh, lucky me," she said sarcastically, as she sat down on the couch, and crossed her legs. "You owe me big time for letting you do that."

Damon rose his hands defensively, as he finally sat down across from her, and shrugged.

"Fine, Bennett; whatever you say," he complied, and she straightened up. I'll wine and dine you, next time, before I dine _on you_," he said, and she offered a sneer in response. "What's this?" he asked, as he picked up the paper that was on the coffee table, and Bonnie sighed as she leaned against her seat tiredly.

"I don't know—some guy that I met last night at Laila's when I was in the kitchen, drinking away my sanity. His name's Chase. He 'liked me' or something."

"Hm," Damon replied in response, and Bonnie's brow rose, as she watched him studying the number intently, as his fingers gripped around the short piece of paper.

She pressed her lips in amusement.

"Jealous?"

"Absolutely not," he said, before tearing the paper in half, and her mouth dropped as she watched him.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Because he was probably a tool," he stated strongly, and Bonnie shook her head. "Besides—I don't like sharing."

Bonnie's eyebrows scrunched as she watched him rise to his feet, and stand there, for a second, as his eyes focused on hers.

"You don't like to share _what?_"

Bonnie watched as Damon strolled just before her, in a slow and casual way, as she glanced up at him. It was incredibly hard to ignore those toned arms and defined abs that he sported, as he stood right before her with that _look_ that just made her want to punch a wall.

_And also jump his bones._

Damon kneeled a bit, so that they were at eye level, and she struggled to catch her breath when his eyes looked into hers. No matter how many times he did that, she would never get used to it; she would need to swallow air, every single time.

His palm slowly rose to her neck, and a shiver ran down her spine when he leaned in so dangerously close, that their noses nearly touched. She was simply astounded by just how close this all felt, right now.

"Your five minutes ended a _long_ time ago, Bennett," he warned in a soft voice, and she sighed when he seemed to move in even further. "What are we going to do about that?"

Bonnie shut her eyes, as Damon engulfed her into a long, passionate kiss, as he pushed her up against the couch, and she pulled him in, effortlessly, b the waistband of his boxers.

Her robe was barely off, before Damon was kissing all over her, again. Within seconds, Bonnie found herself at the same position as she had been the night before—literally and figuratively—as they started having sex, all over again.

And he was right; something about doing it in the morning was much more satisfying.

As Bonnie's fingers gripped through his hair, and his lips buried at her chest, there was a knock on the door, again, and this time, Damon's voice was the one to answer.

"Not a good time, Laila! I'm…_inspecting _those bruises on Bonnie's neck," he said breathlessly.

Bonnie giggled at that, before letting out a moan that he muffled quickly with his lips.

"_I don't know who Laila is, but it's not her!" they heard._

Both Bonnie and Damon stopped, as the sound of the voice on the other side of the door rang so painfully familiar, it immediately stopped them both in their tracks. They both looked at each other in confusion—or in contrast, confirmation—and suddenly pulled on her robe, again, and wrapped it over her body as Damon adjusted his boxers.

_They both just had to be hearing things, right?_

Damon hopped to his feet, and Bonnie watched on, as he walked to the door with an investigative look on his face. He flashed her a look of uncertainty before pulling it open, and Bonnie felt her breath get caught in her throat, just as Damon's expression suddenly dropped, as well.

The brunette standing in the doorway had the same, big doe eyes as she had owned before—and her hesitant appearance was nothing that they hadn't become accustomed to, all those years back in Mystic Falls.

Silence floated on between the three, as nobody dared to say a thing, until finally, Bonnie's itching throat croaked out what sounded like a string of coherent words, though they sounded foreign upon not only her ears, but Damon's as well.

"_Elena," she began. "Hi."_

A/N: Hello, everyone! SO, I have been really inspired with this fic lately, but super busy, so I apologize for how long it takes me to update. Seriously trying my best for you guys. What did you all think of this one?! Damon and Bonnie, FINALLY giving in to temptation, and they both enjoyed it. Do you think it was too much too soon for them, and will it ruin things? Also, Caroline and Stefan! What do you think about her ultimatum to him? Fair or not? And lastly… ELENA returning! Are we all happy to see her? Mwuahaha. I did promise people from the past would be popping up ;) What do you think she's here for, exactly, and how will this impact Damon/Bonnie as well as Stefan and Caroline? I hope you all loved this as much as I loved writing it. You are all seriously the best, and I can't wait until I can update again! Seriously, thank you for all of the wise words. I love you all. Read and Review. And until next time! xo


	9. Dirty and Clean

**Dirty and Clean**

Silence passed between the three, as Elena looked down to the ground, before letting her chestnut eyes meet Bonnie's, again.

It was like seeing a ghost, almost, as her ivory skin seemed pale in comparison to its usual color. She was wearing an expression of distress, as usual, but something about it was much more thinly veiled than Bonnie remembered it to be.

She hadn't seen Elena in—what felt like—ages, but she could still, so easily, pick up on the little things that had changed about her, with no time at all.

Bonnie supposed that was a gift—and a curse—when it came down to it. Especially right now, when she had no idea what her former friend was in the living room of her apartment, with no warning, heads up, or preface, at all.

Bonnie wondered if Caroline had known about this. She hoped, for her sake, that she didn't.

"I, uh… hope I'm not ruining anything," Elena said, as she stared between Bonnie, who was smoothing her disheveled brown locks, and Damon, who had appropriately crossed his arms over his chest, as a scoff emitted from his lips.

Before Bonnie could offer a diplomatic answer, he spoke.

"You? _Ruin _something, Elena? Where would you _ever _get _that _idea?" Damon asked sarcastically, and Bonnie immediately whipped her head to face him.

"Damon—"

"Before you say anything, Bonnie—don't," he cut in, and she frowned. "You can listen to a million and one reasons why Elena decided to acknowledge your presence, again, but I won't. I don't care," Damon said bluntly, as he promptly walked out of the room, and Bonnie let out a sigh as she watched him go.

Another long silence passed between the two, as Elena hugged her arms over herself, and stood there awkwardly, as Bonnie heard Damon's bedroom door slam shut.

_He was right._

It had been forever since she and Elena talked; quite specifically, since Bonnie apologized for nearly taking her life, in her time of darkness, and Elena barely accepted her apology.

Bonnie hadn't expected her to; after all, she tried to _kill her. _But she hadn't expected Elena's cold shoulder, either, as the doppelganger formally retreated from treating Bonnie like a friend who had gone mad, and only relegated her to an acquaintance.

It hurt Bonnie knowing that this girl—this being that she had once called her _sister—_didn't trust her anymore. It was probably for the best, true, but that didn't mean it hurt any less.

It never did, when you lost a friend.

Elena finally cleared her throat, and Bonnie looked up with blank eyes as the girl tucked a strand of her even longer brown hair behind her ear. She was honestly just as beautiful as she had always been—maybe even more so, as her face had matured slightly. She hadn't expected anything less.

"Bonnie, I—"

"What are you doing here?" she asked, before Elena could finish her sentence. "You're… honestly the last person I expected to see, after all of this time."

Elena nodded shortly, before placing her hands into her pockets, timidly, and shrugging.

"Yeah, Bon—I guess this is just a bit… surprising," she answered, and Bonnie didn't answer as she awaited the rest of her explanation. "I just… I didn't really expect to be here, either, and I am _so sorry _if I'm j-just dropping in on you… and Damon," Elena added.

Bonnie licked her teeth, and bit her lip, but she didn't respond.

Elena began to pace the floor before her, and Bonnie watched on in mute observation, as the girl struggled to keep her eyes off of the ground, and straight ahead. Bonnie's head cocked softly, as she noticed the deep despair behind Elena's expression, and she moved in a bit closer towards her.

"Elena," she said softly, and she finally glanced at her again.

Elena smiled solemnly, before she finally stopped in her tracks.

"You deserve to know," she finally said, and Bonnie's eyebrows met in confusion.

"Know what?" she asked, and Elena let out a dry laugh, before her hands cupped over her mouth. "Elena," Bonnie said firmly, as her eyes narrowed. "What do I deserve to know?"

Elena turned to face her shakily, and her trembling hands dropped. Bonnie watched as her solemn expression slowly morphed into one of grief, and Bonnie immediately felt her stomach drop.

"Jeremy," Elena let out, and Bonnie's stance straightened. "He's—My God, Bonnie—"

"He's hurt?" Bonnie asked faintly, and she felt her heart stop when a flood of tears finally trickled from Elena's eyes and onto her cheeks. "Elena—"she stepped in.

"He's dead," she finally spilled, and Bonnie stood paralyzed as it seemingly felt like the wind had been knocked out of her.

Elena's hands covered her eyes, and Bonnie just stood there, as the sounds of her crying filled the living room, and her tears seemed to paint to wooden floors.

_Jeremy was dead. Repeating the words over and over inside of her mind just didn't seem right._

_How could this feel so wrong?_

"How?" Bonnie asked, in a voice barely above a whisper, as her throat suddenly dried, and her hands went numb.

Elena struggled to catch her tears that were at a constant flow, but she failed miserably, as her dark mascara coated her cheeks, and she pursed her lips.

"A car accident," she said, and Bonnie frowned as she remembered the fate of Miranda and Grayson Gilbert. "He—He hadn't been wearing his ring, since we moved to Sarasota, because he didn't need it. H—He used to take it off for baseball practice; he was really starting to love it, Bonnie, I—" she started, and she was suddenly engulfed in a hug, as Bonnie's arms wrapped around her shoulders.

Elena immediately erupted into a sob as she buried her face against Bonnie's shoulder, and the girl held her tightly, as she shook profusely.

"He was supposed to have future, Bonnie! He deserved a future! And now… I don't even know what to do—what to say," Elena let out between her tears, and Bonnie nodded knowingly, as she clutched her even tighter.

She and Elena may have been going through a rough patch, but when it came to this—_when it came to Jeremy—_Bonnie knew that he was the one person she could not live without. She'd already lost her parents, her aunt and anyone else blood related to her. Jeremy was all that she had left.

Jeremy was the only thing that made Elena want to live.

"How's Matt taking it?" Bonnie asked gently, as she held back the tears for her former love behind her own eyes.

Elena pulled away from Bonnie, and wiped her reddened nose with the back of her hand, and pressed her lips dazedly.

"I—I haven't told him, yet," she confessed, and Bonnie's brows furrowed. "We—we broke up, two months ago," Elena added. "He moved back to Mystic Falls, and Jeremy and I stayed in Florida. I just… I don't know what to say to him. They were best friends. And when he left… Jeremy was crushed. Imagine what Matt will think when he finds out?"

Bonnie stood quietly, as Elena ran her fingers through her long, pin straight hair, before pinching the bridge of her nose.

She'd never seen her so hysterical.

"I've lost everyone, Bonnie," Elena said lightly, as she looked into her olive eyes, with her own, reddened, charcoal ones. "And now I'm planning a funeral to bury my little brother—my _brother _who deserves to be here so much more than I do. He should be burying _me, _Bonnie; not the other way around."

Bonnie watched as Elena swallowed hard, before wiping away the next stream of tears that marred her face.

It honestly felt as though a ton of bricks had been dropped on Bonnie directly, as she looked into Elena's eyes, and captured the words as they passed her lips.

_Jeremy was gone, and he was never coming back._

"I'll tell Matt," Bonnie said gently, and she watched as Elena's expression saddened. "And Tyler, Stefan, and Caroline… I'll tell everyone. We'll make plans to come to the funeral."

Elena gulped as she shook her head, and bit her lip.

"You don't have to do that, Bonnie—this is my problem. He was my family—"

"He was mine, too," Bonnie cut in, and Elena swallowed hard. "I… I loved him. Remember?"

Elena nodded numbly, as Bonnie stood there plainly. An entire minute passed before either of them spoke again.

"Thank you," Elena said, and Bonnie nodded shortly. "Thank you… for everything. It just… it's all happened so fast. And he's being buried in two days, and—"

"Everything will be okay," Bonnie offered. "I know it will, Elena. Everything… will be fine."

Elena bit her lip, but nodded her head before clutching her bag tighter at her shoulder. She let out a long breath to calm herself, before wiping the remnants of mascara from her cheeks.

"I should get going," she said lowly, and Bonnie watched on as she neared the door. "I—I haven't eaten all day and I'm just a mess. I'm only here for the night, so I don't have much time."

Bonnie shrugged softly, and pursed her lips.

"I—I can make you breakfast," she offered. "I think we have French toast. And Damon just put some coffee on—"

"It's okay," Elena interrupted, with a gentle smile. "But I appreciate that. I do."

Bonnie remained silent, and without another word, Elena approached her again, and wrapped her arms around her in a long, silent hug, as no words passed between them. Elena shut her eyes and breathed in the familiarity of the Bennett, as her hands gripped at her robe, and a sudden sense of calm passed over her as Bonnie undoubtedly hugged her back.

It was more than just a hug for Jeremy; it was a hug for _everything._

When Elena finally released her, she let out a heavy sigh before walking towards the door, and turning to face Bonnie once more.

"I'll… see you in Virginia?" Elena asked, and Bonnie nodded in confirmation.

"I'll see you in Virginia, Elena."

Bonnie watched as the girl walked out of the apartment, and she immediately placed a hand to her chest, as it suddenly felt harder to breathe. She kept on a better face for Elena than the one she had been holding in, and to be quite honest? She was crushed.

Totally, and completely _crushed._

She sucked in a long breath, as she finally gathered the strength to make her way towards the hallway; still feeling overwhelmed and shell shocked by it all.

Jeremy was really gone, this time. And her heart was entirely broken.

She felt like a zombie, as she pushed open the entrance to Damon's room, and he was pulling on a fresh black t-shirt over his bare skin.

His hair was wet from the shower.

"Let me guess; Elena is no longer content with being just a boring human, and wants you to find the Fountain of Youth to help her stay young and vibrant, forever," Damon said, without even looking up, as he searched his dresser for his bottle of Armani Code.

Bonnie stood there quietly, and she suddenly shivered as her fingers dropped to her sides, and she felt the coating of her tears filling her eyes again.

"Jeremy died," she said, and Damon stopped for a moment, as stillness filled the room, before he decidedly continued his search for his cologne, before finally finding it in the top drawer.

"You mean he actually lived past the age of sixteen?" Damon asked in a dry tone. "Color me shocked… Is she upset with you that you weren't there to save his life like you always do?" he asked, and Bonnie's mouth dropped as he finally turned to face her.

"How insensitive are you?" she asked, angrily, as Damon crossed his arms over his chest, and studied her quietly. "This is _Jeremy, _Damon! I dated him; I _loved _him—"

"Then you know better than anyone else how these things happen, Bennett," he said, and she shook her head in disbelief. "You know that death _happens_—"

"So, I'm supposed to be okay with this?" she yelled, as her voice rose, and Damon continued to watch her with an unnerving sense of calm. "You act like he was just another person, Damon; like he was just collateral damage! But he wasn't—I cared about him. He _mattered _to me and the fact that _that _means _nothing _to you—"

"It means everything to me, Bonnie," Damon interrupted, and she shook her head once more, as he stalked up to her.

"Then why are you saying this?!" she screamed, as her hot tears suddenly flooded her face. "Why are you acting like you don't care? Like this means nothing, because it happened to Elena—"

"Because _you're _the one who matters to me!" he yelled back, and her lips shut closed. "Because I _know _you, and I know the _first _thing you're gonna do. You're gonna feel _guilty; _guilty that you couldn't somehow save him. And you're gonna blame yourself; because that's what you do. You _blame _yourself for _everything! _You've already started!"

"I—"

"I can see it in your eyes, Bonnie," Damon cut her off, as she trembled uncontrollably. "You're thinking how different it could have been if you were there; if you had your magic—"

"Because it's true!" Bonnie erupted, and Damon's eyes narrowed. "What if I was still a witch, Damon? Elena wouldn't have to lose the last person she had left; I wouldn't have to lose a friend—it could have all been different," she said, and Damon scoffed, as he grabbed her at the shoulders; nearly shaking her tiny frame.

"Listen to me," he said firmly. "You're not doing this; you are _not _claiming responsibility for his death, Bonnie, because this isn't your fault. And you can't change things—"

"If things were different, Damon—"

"They're not," he stated, and her eyes welled up with more tears. "And they don't have to be; and you don't have t blame yourself, for this," he said calmly.

Bonnie caught the breath that locked in her throat, and as soon as she exhaled it, she began to cry. As her heavy tears drowned her face, and her body shook with fever, Damon finally wrapped her into his arms, as the girl let everything out against him.

Her curses, her cried; it all fell against his shirt, as he hugged her tightly, and placed his forehead atop her smooth brown hair.

"How did you know?" she asked, muffled against his fabric, with a face full of water that was beginning to seep through his shirt. "How did you—"

"Because I know you, Bonnie," Damon said, and Bonnie pursed her lips. "And it's okay to feel bad about this… but you can't just go blaming yourself for it either," he reasoned. She nodded her head in compliance. "I'm… sorry, okay? I am so, so sorry that this happened."

Bonnie shut her eyes, as she held onto Damon tightly, and hiccupped between her tears.

"I loved him, Damon."

Damon gulped at the words; the ones that had always made him a bit uneasy. Especially when it came to Bonnie Bennett. Love wasn't something that came as easily and as often to her, as it did to him; though he recalled the day she'd said the words to him, herself.

Deep down inside, he'd known she couldn't have meant it. He was Damon Salvatore; the crazy, impulsive vampire who loved too much, and who tried too hard. Just the idea that she had fallen in love with him was ridiculous, and to this day, he laughed at himself for ever having believed in that.

But as for Jeremy? He knew it was true. He knew that Bonnie loved him, and would always love him. Even in his death. It was something that Damon envied the Young Gilbert for, greatly.

Though, he would never say as much.

Damon hugged Bonnie even tighter, and his lips pressed to the top of her head softly, before he let the inevitable words pass his lips.

"I know. I know you did."

He pulled away softly, and Bonnie looked up into his eyes, as the portals of blue immediately melted against her. He took her face into his hands, and sighed lightly.

This gentleness about him was still something she had yet to get used to.

"You loved him," Damon repeated, though the words burned his lips the moment they passed. "But… You have to realize, Bonnie that you're human, too. And that you can't control everything—you couldn't control this… But I'm here for you. Alright? As your roommate, as your… friend," he said carefully as her eyes searched his. "I will always be here, for you."

Bonnie sniffled, as his thumbs wiped away her tears, and she forced a smile, though her heart was crumbling with every moment.

So she said the only thing she could say, in this situation.

"Careful, Damon… I might start to think you actually care."

Damon felt a soft smirk rise at his lips, before he pulled her into another hug, and Bonnie pressed her forehead to his chest. It was honestly the safest she'd felt in months; wrapped into his arms, as she steadied her breaths, and he soothingly brushed her hair with his fingertips.

He chuckled as her body finally relaxed, and Bonnie closed her eyes, when the wave of calm settled over her, as they stood there, for nearly ten minutes in complete silence, until he finally spoke.

"_Never gonna let me live that down, are you, Bennett?"_

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

"I can't believe so many people came," Caroline said, as she counted the groups of people walking over to Elena, and hugging her somberly, as they offered their condolences. "Jeremy really did know everyone."

"Yeah, he did," Bonnie said gently, as she looked around, and sighed.

They had gotten through the worst of it; the actual funeral, where they finally laid the young boy to rest, and Elena stood strong as they lowered the casket into the ground. In her pretty black dress, with her hair tied in an elegant bun, she still looked beautiful; even with her life marked with such tragedy. She'd shed a single tear, before tossing her final rose into the grave, and quietly turning to Matt, as he enveloped her in his arms.

He'd been buried right next to Aunt Jenna, Uncle John, Alaric, Miranda and Grayson; and Elena found subtle joy in that. She knew now, for a fact, that the afterlife existed, and that Jeremy would never, ever, be alone, again.

And that's all she could have asked for; for her little brother to find peace, with the people loved and had been mourning for so long.

_And they would still love him here; forever and always._

So, when Bonnie's thought snapped out of the earlier part of their day and back to now—now, where they were _celebrating_ Jeremy's life, rather than mourning it—she couldn't help but wonder what Jeremy would say to her if he saw all of this?

No doubt, the Gilbert would be overjoyed at the fact that they had built a bonfire right here, in the middle of the darkness, bought a couple kegs, and invited each and every person he knew to the woods to play some beer pong, in his honor. She knew he would be ecstatic that all of the "parents" left around 6 P.M, or so, but there were still over a hundred people partying for him—as Damon enlisted the services of one of his favorite bands, and everyone enjoyed the warm night. Jeremy would be happy to see that they were surviving; as Elena sipped beer from her red cup, reluctantly, catching up in a corner with anyone who walked her way; this time, Stefan. Or as Caroline played hostess, as usual, because she was the "neurotic one," Matt and Damon played flip cup partners, and Tyler and his new girlfriend Hayley swayed to the beat of the music, trying to forget the pain.

And Bonnie, finally, as she watched it all; imagining he was here to enjoy the good time that was all for him.

_Because it all was for him._

Bonnie became rattled, once more, out of her thoughts when she looked up, and she saw Damon's game ending, and him sauntering over towards her in tune with the band. She smiled bashfully, and he extended his hand towards her own, dashingly, as she sat at the fire.

"Just when I thought I was going to get some peace and quiet…" Bonnie said, and Damon scoffed. "What do you want?" she asked bluntly.

"I request your company, m'lady," he said dramatically. "That is, if you're _brave _enough to join me."

Bonnie cocked her head in annoyance as she rolled her eyes before slapping her hand into his, and allowing him to pull her up and towards him.

"What am I doing in your company?" she asked, as she took a sip of her beer, and he drank a bit of his own, while still holding onto her hand that was free. "And ew, are we _holding hands?_" she sneered.

Damon finished off the beer in his Solo cup and tossed it in a nearby garbage, as they walked away from the fire, before he looked into her glowing eyes.

"Romantic, right? We're showing off."

"I'm not a trophy, _don't _treat me like one," she warned, and he smirked.

"And here I was, thinking you were doing the same," he said, and her expression deadpanned, though she felt the constant eyes of the swarm of people around her.

This happened every single time she stood next to Damon Salvatore. It couldn't have been a coincidence, at this point.

"If they knew you, they'd know there was nothing to 'show off'," she finally replied, as they walked deeper into the woods, and he snorted.

"You're kidding, right?"

The quiet continued to build, the further they walked away from the blaring noises and people at the party, until finally, they were all alone.

When they finally stopped walking, Damon looked at her, and Bonnie gazed back, as his eyes softly became illuminated by the moonlight.

"I'm not kidding," she said smugly, and Damon licked his teeth, without saying a word. "Why did you need to get alone?" she finally asked, as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Damon grinned.

"I wanted to… see how you were doing."

Bonnie sent him a look of faux astonishment before he smiled again.

"Seriously?" she asked. "We're in like, the middle of Narnia right now because you wanna talk about my feelings?"

Damon let out a short laugh as he shrugged his shoulders, and pulled her in more. The soft look in his eyes let her know that he really did care; even if he was unwilling to admit it aloud, again.

"I'd rather not talk," he said honestly, as his hand brushed back a loose strand of her hair. "But… I'll be your Dr. Phil if you need me to be."

"You're so lame."

"It's kind of… cute, isn't it?" he asked, with an obnoxious smirk.

Bonnie groaned, though with the mixture of beer and sky-high emotion running through her system, she actually found his stupid face expressions a little sexy.

_Definitely sexy. And that could be bad news, given the fact that they were _completely _alone, right now._

"We… should get back," Bonnie eased, as Damon's crystal blue eyes searched hers for a bit of honesty. "This probably isn't a good idea."

Damon watched as she moved away from him; letting out a long sigh before she slowly but surely began to walk away. He ran his tongue over his teeth and turned to watch her, as her back moved into the distance, and he let out a short breath before speaking.

"Did you mean this, right now, or this… _in general?_"

Bonnie stopped in her tracks, and spun on her heel, as the sound of the leaves beneath her shoes crinkled with each step. She remained silent for a moment before shaking her head, and smiling sadly.

"I don't know what I mean, Damon," she confessed, and his jaw ticked. "I—know what I want, I just… think we should be careful."

Damon's brows knitted, and he stuffed his hands in his pockets as he gradually stepped in closer.

"Why's that?" he asked, and she pressed her lips. "Why do we have to be 'careful?' What are we being 'careful' about?"

Bonnie didn't respond, as she looked down to the ground, and fidgeted with her fingers. He let out a sigh when she finally looked up, and her olive eyes met his.

"Not a 'what'," she admitted. "More like… a _'who.'_"

Damon's eyes narrowed when he realized just what Bonnie was saying, and he suddenly felt a surge of anger building within him, though he held it in.

"Elena," he said, and she didn't respond. "You're… worried about Elena. You think something's going to change because I saw her, again? I've barely acknowledged her, Bonnie."

Bonnie let out a short scoff, and folded her arms over her chest.

She honestly felt ridiculous even being jealous about this, honestly.

Damon had given her no reason, thus far, to believe that he still had feelings for the doppelganger, or that he was even remotely interested in reviving them. But for some reason, there was still a small part of her that believed it; that Damon still loved Elena, no matter what he said, and diving into this just as she'd popped back up into the picture would spell trouble.

She had no proof, but her intuition. And sometimes, that was all that you needed.

"Maybe there's still something there, Damon—"

"You're kidding, right?" he asked bluntly, and she shifted. "Bonnie, I didn't melt onto the floor when I saw her, okay? I think I know what I'm feeling."

"Do you? Because maybe you need time—"

"I don't need time, Bonnie, I need _you!_" Damon exclaimed, and she suddenly shut her lips as he stalked right up to her, and shook his head. "There's only so many ways I can say it."

"Then… don't say it," she forced out, and his brows furrowed, as she bit her lip. "Show… me, Damon. _Show me._"

The vampire pursed his lips together before taking her hands into his, slowly. She breathed softly as his thumbs made gentle circles around her skin, and without another word, he pushed her slightly, so her back pressed against the bark of a tree.

She shut her eyes as his hands landed at her sides, and without preamble, his lips crashed against hers. It'd honestly been the quickest he'd ever started kissing her, before, if she hadn't been mistaken.

Most other times, Damon decided he wanted to be a tease or he wanted some buildup towards the big moment when their lips would be pushed against one another's. But this time? He went in, straight for the kill. And she couldn't say that she hated him at all, for that, because it was exactly what she wanted, right now.

_She didn't want to hear his words. She wanted to _feel_ them._

Damon's hands slid up her bare thighs and past her shorts to her stomach—where he fiddled with the fabric of her lace blouse, and easily formed his fingers over the curves of her skin. Bonnie breathed when he grabbed her tightly, and pushed her even harder to the wood, as their tongues moved in sync. Her fingers gripped his dark hair, as her palms clutched his head, and without another word, Damon's fingers began to unzip her shorts.

Bonnie let out a sharp breath, as his lips pressed to her neck, and she moaned when he pushed his hand deep beyond the fabric separating between them.

Bonnie's shorts slid further to the ground, and she finally kicked them away, as Damon lifted her into his arms, and held her even tighter against their temporary wall. Her legs tightened around his waist, and she muffled the noises escaping her lips against his shoulder, though she was sure with how much her nails were digging into his back, he should have been even louder than she was.

But at the rate they were going, he'd have plenty of opportunities to challenge her on that, later.

XXXXXXXXX

"So, I feel like this is my obligatory 'friendship warning' to let you know that you've been staring off into the distance like a weirdo, and as a result people are beginning to stare at _you._"

Caroline snapped out of her thoughts, and turned around, to see Matt Donovan, at the keg beside her, pumping a drink. Matt still looked exactly the same, as he had when he left Mystic Falls with Elena, and Caroline internally smiled at the fact that the human hadn't aged a day.

He was still tall, built, and blonde; he was still the guy she grew up with, dated, and then became close friends with. And though they hadn't kept in touch when he moved out of state, it felt like things had never changed, between them. The comfort was still there, and she was extremely thankful for that.

Matt was one of those people that she would never stop caring about. So, it annoyed her, naturally, that he could see right through her, and her bitch-mode, right now.

He always knew her, so well.

She scoffed before taking a sip of her beer, and placing a hand on her hip.

"I'm not staring, I'm—"

"Lurking?" he filled in and she rolled her eyes. "C'mon, Care; what's got you so pissed off?" he asked genuinely, as he stood up straighter beside her. "Tyler and Hayley? You know you and Tyler were done _ages _ago, right?"

She let out a sigh, and licked her teeth as she glanced at her former boyfriend twirling his brunette by the hand, and smiling happily, before he pulled her in tightly.

"I'm happy for him, and … Wolf Girl," she spat, and Matt cocked his head. "Seriously—I am."

"But?" Matt questioned, and her blue eyes met his. "There's always a catch with you."

"There is no catch," she informed honestly, as she hugged herself tightly. "Tyler's happy, and… I'm happy for him. I'm happy for Tyler."

Matt remained silent for a moment, as he took a sip of his beer, and leaned against the tree that was right at Caroline's side.

She followed his eyes to the previous direction that hers had been in, and she gulped when she came across them, again. Stefan and Elena; standing there, so perfectly, as they quietly caught up on everything, she presumed, as she was standing here—extremely jealous of it all.

She tried to keep a handle on her feelings; after all, they were celebrating Jeremy's life, for crying out loud, and she was sure Stefan was just trying to be a good "friend" to Elena. But she'd be lying if she said she still didn't see the obvious sparks bouncing between them, as they stood a little _too _close, and stared at each other a little too longingly.

She'd given Stefan the choice by bouncing the ball completely into his court, and now, she was solemnly regretting it. Because if she were honest, right now, it didn't look like she was ever going to get that ball back.

And the look on Matt's face was just confirming her suspicions.

"Why did you and Elena break up, again?" she asked airily, though she watched as his eyes penetrated deeply across the woods, towards Elena and Stefan, before he turned to face her. "What happened?"

Matt took another swig from his cup, and shrugged silently. It wasn't a shrug of ambivalence; but mostly one of giving up.

And that scared her.

"You… don't have to tell me," the blonde quickly said; realizing her own, sudden, desire for not knowing. "Matt, I—"

"We broke up because… she's still in love with him," Matt said, nodding gently towards Stefan, and Caroline gulped as she felt a sudden weight coming down on her. "She… always loved him, Caroline. And I think she always will."

Caroline frowned as she turned back to face them, and Elena was smiling gently in Stefan's direction, though the vampire wasn't saying a word.

Her stomach wrenched as she continued to gaze on, and notice the air of intensity between them, as they looked at each other like there was nobody else in the room. Caroline's mouth trembled, and before she could have a certified breakdown, she shook her head enthusiastically, and faced Matt.

"Yeah, I think so, too," she agreed, though it burned her down to core even realizing that her harshest realities were coming true. "I—I don't think anyone could ever come in between them."

"Agreed," Matt said softly, as he chugged his beer, and then tossed the empty red cup into the pail. "Anyone would be stupid to try."

She breathed deeply as the blonde walked away, and she swallowed hard when the lump in her throat felt as though it was getting bigger and bigger with size. She let out a short scoff, and began to take off in a direction—any direction, honestly—that would get her the hell out of this party, and away from the sight of Stefan Salvatore with Elena Gilbert.

It was like her junior year in high school revisited, all over again; wanting Stefan, as he told her she had no chance in hell, and then watching him sweep her best friend off of her feet, and into this epic romance. It was at the bonfire that he rejected her, by telling her that they would "never happen." And here they were, again, at another bonfire, as Stefan set his sights on Elena, once more, and she was left to feel the pain of his lost affections, once more.

_Oh, how history repeated itself._

Caroline let out a mini yelp when she slammed, hard, into someone's body, but she immediately looked up with genuine anger as she realized it was _Stefan, _of all people.

_Great; now she was mindlessly walking towards him, too?_

He offered a simple, but apologetic glance, as her brows knitted, and he cleared his throat to speak.

Too bad she didn't want to hear it.

"Excuse me," she muttered hastily, as she pushed him aside, but Stefan grabbed her by the hand before she could walk away. "Stefan, seriously—"

"Why are you avoiding me?" he asked bluntly, and Caroline's jaw ticked, as his emerald eyes glowed, majestically. "In New York, here… you haven't acknowledged me in days, Caroline."

"Do I need to, Stefan? Since you're all into 'ignoring' things, anyway," she snapped, and he frowned. "Besides—you're busy, I can see that."

Stefan let out a sigh, as he looked obviously hurt by the harsh treatment he was receiving from Caroline. He obviously never wanted it to be this way, and he accepted full responsibility for the fact that she was upset. He'd been a shitty friend, and she deserved better than that. Much better.

"You're right," he conceded, and Caroline folded her arms. "I… haven't been at my best, lately, and I do apologize for that. Okay?"

Caroline didn't respond, though if she had to admit, the sound of his warm voice as he apologized was easily chipping away at her armor. Her arms loosened, but her stance didn't, as they just looked into each other's eyes, until finally, he spoke again.

This time, with much more trepidation.

"I, uh… know you saw me talking to Elena, before, Caroline… And I wanted to… ask you something."

The heat behind Caroline's fingers suddenly increased, as did the seriousness in his eyes, when he lowered his voice, and stepped in a bit closer.

She honestly was not prepared for whatever he was going to ask her.

"Elena… is going to stay the night, with me, at the Boarding House," he admitted, and Caroline's breath stopped as his eyes searched hers. "She, uh… doesn't live here anymore, technically, so she's got nowhere to stay and—"

"You're playing Doppelganger Doctor—"

"I wanted you to stay tonight, too," he said, and Caroline froze. "To… keep me from doing anything stupid."

Caroline blinked slowly as she watched the determined look in his eyes, until she realized he was serious.

"You want me to… play chastity belt," she said firmly, and he bit his lip. "You know, Stefan, I—"

"I would really appreciate it, Caroline," he cut in, and she pressed her lips shut. "I'm trying, okay? I—I want to get over her, and I know that his is the only way; if you keep me from doing it."

Caroline sighed, as she glanced across the woods, and saw Elena chatting with Tyler and Hayley, and she turned back to Stefan; who had a desperate look in his eyes. She couldn't fault him for wanting to try; after all, wasn't it what she wanted—for him to get over Elena, and finally move on?

_Maybe even to her?_

"Fine," she relented, and Stefan smiled thankfully as the blonde held her arms and glanced into his eyes. "I'll… help you stay away from her, Stefan. Because you're my friend. And just like I helped you kick your blood addict tendencies, I will help you with your Elena habit, too."

He nodded as he clasped her hands, and she felt her skin tingle as his own touched hers.

He quickly pulled away.

"Thank you," he said softly. "I… promise we'll talk about… us, when we get back to New York," he said, and Caroline bit her lip as she shook her head.

"One step at a time, Salvatore," she reaffirmed, as her eyes wandered to a smiling Elena, and slowly back up to his. "We're gonna take this… one step at a time."

XXXXXXX

"It's kind of weird being back here," Bonnie said, as she slammed her bedroom door behind her, and Damon watched on, as she dropped her keys on the dresser, and let out a tiny laugh. "It… looks funny."

"It hasn't changed a bit. Your bedroom is still dorky," Damon informed, and Bonnie smiled gently as she surveyed the space, like a child in a candy store.

_Her old bedroom._

She hadn't been home since she'd left Mystic Falls, and it was kind of nostalgic walking into the house, with Damon right behind her, as they headed for the stairs, and straight for her old living space.

Post-sex in the woods, they'd made the decision to just leave the party, and with her father out on business, as usual, Bonnie and Damon came back here. She really just wanted a bed to sleep in, to be honest, but what she didn't expect to find was a longing for her memories and the life that she had so readily left behind.

First and foremost; her bed was still made, and everything was tidy—just as she had left it. She presumed her father came in and did a little dusting here and there, when he was around, but for the most part—it was the same.

As she looked around at her cheerleading pom-poms that were displayed on the wall or her High School yearbook that sat atop her dresser, she realized that she really did miss the way things were, once upon a time. Though she knew that she could never get that back, she still never forgot how it once made her feel; to just be an innocent, with no worries, no problems, and no pain.

She was just a girl, before, but even after discovering her powers, she was only just that. It was through the dark magic that changed her.

_It was the darkness that she became._

Damon plopped down on her bed, and Bonnie walked over to the dresser, once more, in quiet surveillance. Her hand stopped over a photo album that lay shut before her, and she sighed when she'd realized just what it was.

_The scrapbook she had made during she and Jeremy's relationship._

Damon sat up, with his head against the headboard, and he watched as Bonnie's fingers outlined the trim of the book, before she pulled them away.

"It's just… a stupid thing I made," she said lowly, and his eyes followed her frame as she turned to face him. "No big deal. I'm gonna go get some more blankets—"

"Why don't you bring that over?" Damon asked, nodding towards the book. "I'd love to see a few embarrassing pictures of you two," he offered with a grin.

Bonnie glanced back at the book silently, before hesitantly taking it into her hands, and exhaling deeply. She hadn't looked through this book since she and Jeremy broke up, and now Damon wanted to see it? She didn't even remember what she had put in here.

Never the less, she begrudgingly walked over towards her bed, and handed it over quietly, as Damon's eyes reached her own. She had to set a few ground rules about this.

"Go easy on me, okay? I… wore some pretty bad clothes," she prefaced, and he rolled his eyes. "I'll be back with those blankets—"

"Ah, no you won't," Damon said, and her brows knitted, as he patted the spot on the bed next to him. "There's a blanket here. You'll be fine."

Bonnie folded her arms and let out a snort.

"How do you know, Damon? Vampires aren't affected by the weather."

"I was a human once—I know how much warmth the human body actually needs," he hissed, and she sucked her teeth. "Besides… God _forbid_ you ever just allow me to _cuddle _with you to keep you warm," he stated and she sneered. "Have a seat."

Bonnie groaned, but she complied as she climbed into the bed and moved herself beside him as he opened the scrapbook for their private viewing party.

Bonnie smiled when she glanced at the first page; a picture of she and Jeremy when they were younger, playing on the swings at the park, when she was just eight years old. She had a huge smile, as did Jeremy, as she was pushing his swing, and she remembered the day like it was yesterday, as the memory infiltrated her brain.

Damon let out a long whistle and glanced at Bonnie.

"Wow, so your case of the hots for Baby Gilbert started _that _young?"

"Shut up," she shot back, and he smirked as he continuously flipped through the pages—glancing at Bonnie and Jeremy through their awkward phases, and beyond.

Damon laughed heartily at some of the fashion decisions they'd made, but he'd remembered his own dubious mistakes, back in the day, and he let it slide.

He heard Bonnie stifle a laugh when they came across a picture of the two by the lake—after she had just thrown him in—and he also realized the silence as they went past the sketch that Jeremy had made of the girl when he was still on his artistic kick.

Damon turned to face Bonnie, and she was no longer looking at the album, but down at her hands, instead. He inhaled as he shut the book, and placed it on the end table beside them. Without another word, he cut the light, and settled into the comforter; quieting pulling Bonnie towards him, as her breathing became deeper.

He lay back against her pillow, and finally, he felt her head land at his chest, as she shifted even closer to him than before.

Damon's ultimate goal with the entire Jeremy thing was to make Bonnie come to peaceful terms with it. Sure, he wasn't exactly the expert on that, and he damn near had no right to chime in on Jeremy _anything_ after what he had put the kid through himself, but he wanted to help her.

_He needed to help her through this._

When Damon felt a cold tear drop through the fabric of his black t-shirt, he hugged her a bit tighter, and buried his lips at the top of her head.

"Don't cry, Little Bird," he whispered, and Bonnie nodded wordlessly, as she sniffled and wiped her eyes.

His Little Bird- strong and fierce, but sweet and delicate Little Bonnie Bennett. She'd grown, changed, matured, and reformed herself in so many different ways, since he had first met her, yet she had remained the same.

And so did the things between them.

When he fits met Bonnie, his vow was to protect her—and today, it still was; though he'd failed miserably, at times, and she was perfectly capable of protecting herself. He liked to believe he had been the one to mold her; to unknowingly change her into this person who became surer about her powers and herself, as he challenged her to prove him wrong, and show everyone what she was made of.

He liked to believe that he freed her from the stigmatism that she was _just _a strong and beautiful girl who couldn't fall for a vampire—because she was much more than that, and she had fallen for him.

When Bonnie let out one last sigh followed by a gentle snore, he finally closed his eyes and he felt the heaviness of slumber beginning to fall onto him, as well.

With him, she learned far more about herself than she was willing to admit, and in a sense, he'd given her the wings to fly free—and she did. She went to New York, she created a different life for herself, and she was independent; just like he had always known her to be.

But with those very wings, she had come back to him; and Damon Salvatore was eternally grateful for that. Because of all of the places his Little Bird could have gone and should have chosen to be, she was here, with him.

And even with the current circumstances, that still felt the most amazing thing in the world.

Xxxxxxxxxx

_Her steps creaked against the floorboards, as she walked quietly and carefully through the setting before her. _

_She'd recognized this place well—she'd been here more than a few times—and she was convinced that she could navigate her way throughout it in pitch blackness, to be honest._

_She almost had to when she suddenly realized just how dark it was, and her heart skipped a beat when a wave of cold air made her spine shudder._

_What the hell was she doing, exactly? Why was she here and where was she going? She wrapped her arms around herself to shield from the chill, but she continued to walk—or be pulled—towards her destination, like a moth to a flame._

_She didn't understand it; the slow, but consistent urgency to follow this feeling that she had, but she was going with it, anyway—her logic be damned._

_Her questions seemed to be closed to answered, though, as she pushed the swinging door towards the kitchen open, and she saw him standing there; with his back towards her, and completely stoic._

"_Jeremy?" Bonnie asked firmly, though her voice came out as a rasp whisper, until she cleared it again. "Jer—what are you doing here?" she asked curiously, as she continued to move in towards him, but he didn't respond._

_She swallowed hard as she finally stood right behind him, and she placed a hand on his shoulder; she smiled when she realized it was him—he was actually here and she was touching him. She bit back her expression and let out a sigh._

_Everything would be okay._

"_Jeremy," she said softly, and when he finally turned around she felt her blood run cold._

_The boy's normally vibrant brown eyes were filled with their own brand of horror that positively made her heart stop. Her fingers trembled as he moved in closer, and Bonnie shook her head as he gazed at her strongly._

"_Jeremy—"_

"_It wasn't an accident," he whispered, and her eyes widened with fear. "It was a message."_

A/N: Hello, everyone! So I decided to end this chapter right here, because for one, I am exhausted. And secondly, we all love cliffhangers, right? Haha . In this one, we got Elena coming to NY and revealing Jeremy's death, and I hope that I wasn't too predictable with that one. As we have seen, Bonnie and Elena really haven't been talking so it needed to be something big to bring these two back together, again, They aren't going to just hit it off right away but now we do have a reason for them to interact. What about Damon? How did you like his support for Bonnie throughout the chapter, especially before the end? Do you think it's hard for him knowing what Bonnie & Jeremy had? Also, your takes on what will happen with Stelena/Steroline? Do you think Stefan's plan will backfire, and if so, why? Lastly—Bonnie seeing Jeremy… was this a dream, real, and what is this "message" that he speaks of? ;)

As always, thank you all so much for reading. Anyone who's also reading the Bonlijah/Bamon fic as well, sigh. I am about 75% with that update so hang in there—I promise I didn't quit on the story! Other than that, reviews, theories, thoughts and everything are nice! Until next time my darlings


	10. Everybody is Someone Else's Secret

**Everybody is Someone Else's Secret**

_"Young lady looked in a cracked mirror  
You look the same  
But you must be somebody else  
We look at shame like a game"_

-The Audition

Bonnie gasped as he shot up in bed, and she held a hand to her heart, as it was nearly beating out of her chest.

_What the hell did she just see?_

She gulped loudly as she glanced around the pitch black room, and finally began to catch her breath.

_It was just a nightmare, she reassured herself, as she felt Damon stirring beside her, and rubbing his hand softly against her leg. She had nothing to worry about._

"You gotta get some sleep, Judgy" he said tiredly, and she didn't respond, as his fingers smoothed over her thigh, and squeezed her skin lightly.

When she didn't offer any words, Damon slowly opened his eyes, and sat up beside her, as she trembled silently, and tucked a strand behind her ear.

"Bonnie," he said firmly, as she finally came into clearer view, and his hands landed on her arms. "You okay?"

_She didn't know the answer to that._

She'd just had a dream—or vision, maybe—telling her that Jeremy's death was _not _an accident, the night that they had finally laid him to rest. If she were any normal person, she would have just taken this as an unsteady thought about losing someone who she'd loved so dearly, and being hopelessly distraught over it.

Bonnie's problem was that she _wasn't _normal therefore she _should _have probably been worried about this.

When you were supernatural, dreams weren't simply dreams, and thoughts could not be brushed off so easily to the overreaction of your imagination.

All of these things were manifestations, and it was only a matter of time before they came to a head. The dreams served as a warning for what was yet to come; or in this case, they served as a very clear message.

_Jeremy's death was not an accident._

But would she tell Damon that?

As the groggy vampire stared at her with tired blue eyes, and a gentle stare, he awaited the answer to his question.

_Was she okay? _

She concluded that she would be. For now.

"Yeah," Bonnie finally said, as she pretended to wipe her eyes, and let out a deep breath. "I just—random dream" she added, and Damon's brow rose as she leaned back against her pillows, and pulled them to her chest. "I… I'm okay."

"You sure?" he asked, as he laid his head back down on their shared pillow, and faced her—easily snaking his hands at her waist, and caressing her hip bone with his thumb. "You seem a little… jumpier than usual. Were you dreaming about me?" he asked, and Bonnie scoffed, as she turned away, and gazed up at the ceiling.

"As if," she shot back; just happy that Damon's general narcissism was always enough to get her out of any conversation that she really didn't want to have with him.

He was just _that _easy to distract, and sometimes, she was really, really grateful for that.

"Oh, c'mon," he said, as he leaned his mouth over towards her neck, and kissed it slowly. "Wouldn't be the first time, right?" he murmured against her skin, and Bonnie groaned when she felt a chill run up her spine with each kiss he administered.

_It was three o'clock in the morning, and Damon was putting the moves on her, and succeeding. This was not okay._

"Don't you ever _stop _being horny?" she asked, as his lips traveled down the side of her neck, and onto her shoulder.

Her hands gripped his hair when they grazed along her chest.

"You don't want me to answer that… You might think I'm a pig," he winked, and Bonnie snorted appropriately.

"I _might? _I think it's a little too late for that."

"Ooh, burn," he whispered, and Bonnie sighed as his lips planted sweet kisses at her stomach.

She honestly was ready to hit him for how sexy he was being. But she also wanted to praise him for successfully making her breathe a little bit easier about her alarming dream she had just had, moments ago.

There was always something about Damon that could bring her back to rationality with just one kiss; and as he placed them all along her skin, and deep beyond her thighs, she was convinced he just might be an expert at this.

"Damon," she said softly, and he glanced up at her silently, as his fangs grazed her leg.

"Yes, dear?" he asked gently, when her green eyes met his, and she let out a sigh, as her fingers ran through his messy raven locks.

The look in his eyes was one to die for, as the blue-eyed vampire blinked slowly, while still staring at her so attentively, she couldn't have escaped his sights if she tried.

And she liked that; she liked that she could never get too far away from him.

She also couldn't help but smile at his _lame _term of endearment.

"Thank you," she said gently, and he stopped abruptly, as his hands were in mid-massage mode on her legs. "Seriously… You've been… completely bearable this entire time—helping me through everything, and I… wanted to say thank you, for that."

Damon grinned, and without another word, he rose to meet her lips with his own.

Bonnie's eyes shut tightly, as his mouth smoothly formulated against hers, as she savored the delicate feeling of his lips. She breathed a sigh of relief when they separated, and the look in his eyes was genuine happiness when his stare found hers.

"I can think of about a _billion _other ways you can thank me—"

"Damon," she said sternly, and he rolled his eyes playfully.

"Fine, I'll behave," he winked, and she smiled. "But I do have one idea, though."

"As long as it doesn't involve Jameson shots or alcohol in general—okay. I'm going to be majorly hung over in the morning."

"It doesn't, I promise," he said, as he sat up. "Follow me," Damon added, as he rose to his feet, and extended his hand.

"Again?" she asked, exasperated, as she recalled their venture earlier that night into the woods, and he scoffed. "Seriously—where are we going now?"

"You'll find out when we get there," he said, and she frowned. "Do you trust me or not Bennett?"

"_Regrettably," she admitted._

"Good enough," he answered, and she growled. "Let's go."

Bonnie groaned as Damon pulled her to her feet, and within seconds, dressed her in a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie that she had lying over the chair. She was tired, and she had no idea what the hell he had in mind, but she figured she'd just go with it, at this point.

When Damon had a plan, he was determined to complete. And even at this hour, she was positive there was nothing she could do to stop him.

She followed him warily, as he captured her hand tightly, and much to Bonnie's surprise—and dismay—he was leading her _outside. _ Her brows scrunched as they walked out of the front door, and they stopped on her porch.

She turned to face him, curiously.

"What the hell are we doing, Damon?"

"We're going on the roof," he announced, and Bonnie's eyes widened to the size of saucers as she stared at him.

"You're kidding, right? It's barely after three, and I don't know where my dad put the ladder."

"We don't _need _a ladder; I'm a vampire, remember?" he smirked. "Besides… you're the one who woke _me _up—"

"You don't even need to sleep!" she nearly yelled, and he silenced her quickly with his index finger and a knowing smile.

"Careful, Bennett. We don't wanna wake up the neighbors. _Again._"

She rolled her eyes at that, instantly recalling all of the times Damon had kept her company in the past, when they both lived in Mystic Falls, while her father went away on business. She was convinced they had actual awoken the entire _town _a few times, but she wasn't about to tell _him _that. She didn't need his ego becoming any larger than it already was.

"I'm afraid of heights," Bonnie said stubbornly, as she folded her arms over her chest. "What if—"

"Nothing's gonna happen to you. Not while I'm around," he said genuinely, and Bonnie bit her lip at the seriousness that suddenly arose within his eyes. "I promise."

She didn't say another word, as she finally wrapped her arms around his shoulders and shut her eyes tightly, though she could feel Damon's obvious smile just beaming at her. She nearly screamed when she felt her body suddenly shoot through the air, but sounds could come out, her feet were firmly planted atop a surface, again.

This time, with a rooftop view.

Bonnie's eyes opened gently, and she let out a deep sigh as she slowly turned around and surveyed the atmosphere.

It was beautiful, she had to admit, as the stars in the skies twinkled so brightly, they almost made her lose her breath. She'd long forgotten about the sweet simplicity that was Mystic Falls the very moment she moved to New York, but it was times like these that made her realize just what she was missing.

She hadn't seen anything like this in ages, and that almost made her appreciate the moment even _more, _as she continued to study the nighttime sky and admire the complexity that was Mother Nature.

_The balance that she had been so intent on protecting, once upon a time._

"It's not so bad, is it?" she heard, and she spun around to see Damon already sitting on the tan shingles that lined her roof, with a satisfied glaze in his eyes. Bonnie cracked a reluctant smile when he motioned for her to sit down with him.

She silently obliged, as she carefully walked over towards him, and eased herself into a comfortable spot. Damon, in return, pulled her in more towards him, until finally his arms were wrapped around her shoulders, and resting above her chest.

Bonnie smiled internally at the gesture.

"So, you wanted to show me the stars… Why?" she asked, and Damon ran his fingers over the sleeves of her sweatshirt, almost involuntarily. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that I want to show you _everything,_" he said, and Bonnie pursed her lips, as she continued to gaze at the cosmos in the sky.

"You know that I can do that all by myself, right, Damon? I—I can see the stars—_the world, even—_all on my own, if I wanted to. I could—"

"I know," Damon interrupted, never moving or relinquishing his hold on the girl, as his lips neared her ear, and he felt her breathe deeply in response. "I know you can, Bonnie… I know that you can channel your 'inner Beyonce' and go all independent woman on me, if you wanted to," Damon replied, and Bonnie let out a small laugh. "But… I'd be lying if I said it wasn't always a dream of mine that we'd be looking up at the same night sky… _together._"

Bonnie pursed her lips and exhaled as she continued to stare ahead.

"You still believed in that? Even after… everything?" she asked.

There was a long silence between them, as she heard the faint sound of the cool wind rustling the trees on the summer night, until finally, she felt Damon nod with confirmation.

"_Yeah, Bonnie… After everything."_

She didn't say anything else, as her hands landed on top of his, and she held onto his fingers tightly; basking in the perfection of the stars above them.

_He still wanted this, after everything._

* * *

"_You couldn't sleep either, huh?"_

Stefan looked up from book to see Caroline entering the parlor with a long t-shirt on, and her loose blonde waves trailing beyond her shoulders. He sighed internally and offered a smile as he looked at the clock across the room, and back to the girl.

Caroline always woke up in the middle of the night; whether she was here or in New York, and he wasn't quite sure why.

He liked to think that he waited up all of this time with the sole intentions of seeing _her _after his hectic day dealing with Jeremy's death.

"I wasn't tired," he admitted, as he watched Caroline retrieve a glass, and a bottle of bourbon from the liquor cabinet. "I didn't even try."

She didn't say a word as she walked over towards him and his eyes couldn't help but follow the curve of her body as her smooth legs were _barely _masked with the black t-shirt she was wearing.

That was one of _his_ shirts, he realized. That made the sight even more inebriating. Caroline was beautiful; there was no doubt about that. But it wasn't until this entire thing about the possibility of something being between _them _that he had honestly noticed just how breathtaking she really was.

Her blue eyes, her flaxen hair; it all seemed to glow—even beneath the dim lights of the room, and he felt himself dwelling on it much more than he normally would have.

_Much more than he should have, as well._

Caroline plopped down on the couch beside him, and Stefan placed his book on the coffee table, as she twisted open the bottle of Damon's favorite alcohol, and poured a healthy serving into the single glass.

_A serving enough for two._

She placed the bottle down, and proceeded to take a sip of it before he finally spoke.

"I take it Elena's asleep," he said casually, before Caroline finished her gulp, and nodded silently.

She and Elena had spent the night in the same room, thanks to Caroline's idea, and effort to save Stefan from any awkward sleepover situations. She claimed that it was because she wanted to "catch up like old times," and Elena didn't suspect a thing, as the two laid down beneath the same comforters, and talked about everything until the doppelganger drifted off to sleep.

Caroline attempted to sleep as well, but soon realized she was better off grabbing a drink to take the edge off.

And that was where she met Stefan.

"Yeah. We… talked a lot," Caroline finally said, as she handed the glass to Stefan, and he took a swig. "Mostly about Matt, Bonnie, Jeremy… a little bit about you."

Stefan bit his lips as his green eyes met Caroline's and his brows furrowed.

"Caroline—"

"She… couldn't stop talking about you, actually," she said, a bit bitterly, as she took the drink out of his hand, and downed a bit more than she should have. "She misses Damon, yeah, but…. It wasn't the same look that she had in her eyes when she talked about you. She really only wanted to talk about _you,_" Caroline recalled. "Do you know how uncomfortable that is, Stefan? Listening to someone talk about how much they… _want _the person that _you _want?"

Stefan shook his head as he looked away.

This was painful.

He never wanted to put Caroline in this position, and he knew that he was completely selfish to, as well. But he needed her help—he knew that he wouldn't have been able to avoid or disengage Elena on his own. Pretending like he was okay or as if he didn't care was never his strong suit.

He had never mastered heartbreak.

"I'm… sorry, Caroline," he began, and she huffed as she took another sip. "I… shouldn't have put the burden on you, okay? I… was really selfish to even ask you for your help, but I just… I didn't know how to do this again; how to face _her _again. I… didn't even think of how hard this would have been for you, too."

Caroline didn't say a word as she polished off the drink, and reached forward to refill it. Stefan quietly watched as she suddenly gave up on using the glass, and rose the entire bottle to her lips—chugging much more than a gulp, until finally, she pushed it towards him.

"Seriously, Stefan? Don't mention it, okay?" I just… I'm glad it'll all be over tomorrow, when we go back to New York and she goes back to Florida," she babbled, and Stefan reluctantly drank a bit more, before she turned to face him. "I'm only doing this because… I know that you would do it for me, if I needed you to."

Stefan sighed as he shook his head, and leaned back against the couch.

"But it's not okay. And that isn't a reason for me to put you through _hell, _Caroline—"

"It's every reason, Stefan," she cut in, and his green eyes met hers, as she grabbed his hand. "Because we're friends; and if you're going through hell, I'm going through worse… Because that's what best friends do. They… take each other's pain," Caroline said softly.

Stefan inhaled deeply as his eyes continued to focus on Caroline's, and he shook his head slowly, as his fingers tightened around hers.

"You're really strong," he said gently. "You always have been, Caroline."

Caroline bit back a smile as she continued to look into his eyes, and she blinked softly. She hadn't done this for him with the hopes of garnering any praise from Stefan, but it was always nice to hear that her efforts were appreciated.

She would always be his champion.

"I came a long way from the 'insecure, neurotic, control freak, on crack, huh?" she asked, and Stefan let out a short laugh as he raised the bottle to his lips, never separating hands from Caroline with the other.

Her skin against his just felt so nice, and after the long day that they had both had, it was just what he needed, and all that he wanted.

"I'd say so," Stefan answered, as he licked the remnants of alcohol from his lips, and placed the bottle down. "You've come a really long way, Caroline."

"And so have you, Stefan," she said with strong encouragement in her voice. "You've done a lot better with this Elena thing than you give yourself credit for. And I know that it's hard, but… you'll get through it. I know that you will."

Stefan smiled softly, as Caroline's oceanic eyes glowed against his, but he didn't say a word.

He had been proud of himself for not instantly melting at Elena's feet upon first sighting, like he thought that he would have. He kept their conversations light and casual, and he did his best not to engage in any talk about their past and what could have been. He missed Elena, with all of his heart, but somehow, thinking of Caroline and all that she meant to him was getting him through that.

_Just like she got him through everything._

"You're dribbling," Caroline suddenly said, breaking him from his thoughts, and his brows scrunched when he looked at her.

"What?"

"The bourbon, dummy. You've got it all over," she said, suddenly releasing his hand, and reaching forward to wipe his mouth hastily with her hand, and much to Stefan's dismay. "You're like a baby, Stefan Salvatore."

Stefan let out a laugh as Caroline busily wiped his mouth with her thumbs, and boldly nipped at her fingers with his lips; collecting a hiss from her lips in response.

"So much for you not being neurotic," he mumbled, and she scoffed as she pinched his chin and he laughed again.

"You're pushing your luck."

"Am I?" he asked, as he moved in a bit, and their faces met in a dangerously close way.

Caroline paused for a second, as her blue eyes illuminated and gazed into Stefan's in a hypnotic way. She felt her breath get caught in her chest as he stared at her just as strongly, until finally, she shook her head, and broke away from the trance.

_She was playing with fire._

"I think I'm tired now," Caroline said suddenly, and Stefan remained quiet when she rose to her feet. "And Elena might realize that I left, and I'm here, with you, and that could be really, _really _awkward," she added quickly, as she began to walk away.

She was stopped instantly by Stefan, as he grabbed her hand, and pulled her back down to the couch. Caroline landed hard beside him, and she let out a loud breath as he continued to look into her eyes, and further infiltrate her mind with his gaze.

Stefan was _sexy. _

From those olive eyes, to that James Dean hair, to that sculpted jaw; she had always been really attracted to him, since the very first time she saw him. And even though Damon was the one who was used to getting all of the physical acclaim, she now knew why, for her, it would always be _Stefan._

Just the way he was looking at her was enough to make her feel even drunker than she already was. And as his hand slowly, but surely, formed circles around her own, without a single word, she was sure that there would never be anybody else in the world that could make her feel the way that he did.

_It had been Stefan when she first saw him. And it was still Stefan, today._

Stefan inhaled as he leaned in a bit closer, and Caroline could have sworn she felt her heart beat, again, as his forehead bumped against hers, and his free hand rose to her neck. This was genuinely torturous, as she shut her eyes to listen to Stefan's breathing, and she swallowed hard, feeling as though a gulf ball was passing through her throat.

She had never been this _close _to him, before, and she now knew why; because she couldn't stand it. The thrill, the intrigue, the anticipation—it was literally _killing _her, and if something didn't happen fast, she was going to lose her mind.

_She was going to lose herself._

"Is this… okay?" Stefan whispered, in a voice barely above a breath, as her eyes opened slowly. "Is it okay if… I _kiss _you?"

Caroline suddenly felt paralyzed as she looked into those eyes of his and realized that he was being completely serious. He was asking for her _permission _to kiss her, and if her memory served her correctly, nobody had ever _asked _her this before.

Nobody had ever moved her so much with just their _words._

Caroline's mouth opened a bit as she began to formulate a response, while she racked her brain for the right words to say. What could she say, really, to the most charming thing anybody had ever said to her, in her entire life?

She had no idea.

"Guys don't… usually _ask _me that; if I _want _to be kissed. They just… do it," Caroline confessed. "And I mean, it's fine, or whatever, but—"

"But what do _you _want, Caroline?" Stefan asked, and her eyes met his. "Do you know what you want?"

Caroline nodded and bit her lip as she moved in closer, and grasped onto his hand even tighter. So tight, she was sure his skin was turning blue.

"I want you to kiss me," she said, and he rolled his tongue over his teeth. "And… I honestly don't want you to stop."

Without another word, Stefan pressed his lips to hers, and Caroline sighed against his mouth.

She could barely breathe as his hand formulated against her messy curls, and he could hardly think when Caroline's nails scraped through his hair. As his tongue met hers, she felt a chill run up and down her spine.

_This was actually happening. She and Stefan were kissing; and it was the best feeling in the world._

Caroline landed on her back, with Stefan on top of her, and she moaned as his lips traveled from her mouth and across her collarbone. She shut her eyes as his hands ran up the sides of her oversized t-shirt, gently grazing over her bra and her underwear.

He was driving her wild, just like she knew that he would. She hated that he was just so good at everything.

Stefan's lips pressed to her chest, and she shakily ran her nails over his bare back, as her hands found their way beneath his shirt, as well. She boldly ripped it away the moment his lips separated from her own, and Stefan growled softly before diving into her neck, again.

She grabbed onto his hair even tighter, and shook her head as his tongue moved over her lobe.

"Elena… is only a few rooms away," she warned, and she felt his lips press against her ear.

"You don't want me to stop."

_She didn't. She didn't want that at all. And she hated that she was even thinking about being a decent friend right now, because to be honest, she didn't give a damn about anything, right now, outside of how she was feeling._

And kissing Stefan felt fantastic.

Caroline exhaled when Stefan's lips finally stopped moving along her skin, and he looked into her eyes strongly as she lay beneath him.

His thumb brushed against her lip, and she searched his eyes for a sign of what he was thinking in this moment.

Stefan had always been difficult to read, but not for her. She understood him, much better than anyone else did, and right now, his eyes were saying that he was on giving her just what she wanted.

The problem was that she wanted _everything._

"Should we… wait for New York?" he finally asked. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable, Caroline. You know those aren't my intentions—"

Caroline responded by pulling off her t-shirt; revealing the hot pink lace bra and underwear that she was wearing beneath it, and his eyes instantaneously were captivated by her body the second she exposed it.

Caroline was truly a sight for sore eyes.

"Does that answer your question?" she asked bluntly, and Stefan pursed his lips as he looked into her eyes.

Stefan grinned softly, as his hands ran over her toned stomach, and down to her smooth legs that seemed to stretch on for days, while his fingers crawled against her skin. He placed soft and sweet kisses against her shoulders, and then proceeded to kiss all the way down her body, until finally he was pulling her underwear away with nothing but his teeth.

Caroline's fingers grasped feverishly onto Stefan's hair, and her eyes shut tightly when she faintly heard him mutter her name before he completely took over.

_And she didn't remember anything else, as her legs wrapped tightly around his neck._

* * *

"You almost all ready to go, Sunshine?" Damon asked, as Bonnie ascended down the staircase, and he looked up from his cell phone, as he sat on the couch. "We should probably start heading to the airport soon."

Bonnie sighed as she tucked a strand behind her ear, and took a sip from her water bottle.

This was it; they were finally leaving Mystic Falls, and returning back to New York; where she would truly begin to live out her life, follow her dreams, and more or less discover new things with Damon Salvatore.

It would be hard saying goodbye to her hometown, again, but she considered it for the best. She'd left for a reason, and today, she was escaping again.

_But not without taking something with her._

"Yeah, I'm ready. I've got my last bag," she said, holding it up briefly, before setting it down next to her other things, and Damon's brows furrowed.

"I thought I grabbed all of them before?" he asked as he stood up, and she smiled shortly.

"You missed one. It's fine. It's not heavy," she reassured.

Damon stared at her for a moment before he finally walked up to her, and Bonnie stood completely still when the vampire appeared before her with a serious expression. She breathed in deeply as he placed both hands on her face, and their eyes met in a long stare before he finally spoke.

"Everything is going to be okay," he said, and Bonnie bit her lip as he pulled her in closer. "_Jeremy _is going to be okay. He's on the Other Side, I'm sure. With Jenna, his parents …"

"Ric?" she asked softly, and Damon nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah, that _son of a bitch, _too," he said, and Bonnie cracked a smile as he wrapped his arms around her, and nestled his forehead on top of her head. "They're all happy… Just like they deserve to be."

Bonnie nodded against his chest, and she felt her heart flutter when he planted a soft kiss onto her hair before separating away from her.

It was honestly all that she needed.

"Let's go," he winked, and Bonnie smile softly, as they grabbed their bags—Damon grabbing all but one of them, actually—and they headed out of her house, and to the rental car.

When Damon slammed her door behind her, and she stared out onto the open road, Bonnie couldn't help but feel wrong—almost guilty—for hiding this from him the way that she was.

But she couldn't help it.

Damon would be upset—angry, even—if he found out what she was really planning on doing, and she just couldn't run the risk of having him find out just what was going on.

_Not yet._

So, as the car sped off, and they headed towards the airport, Bonnie let out a long sigh as she fidgeted her fingers, and turned her gaze outside of her window.

_She just needed to know what—or who—had really caused Jeremy's death._

* * *

"I feel like I'm leaving with more things than I came with," Caroline said, as she stuffed her suitcase into the trunk of the car, and Stefan smiled, as his hands brushed along her waist, and his mouth quickly nipped at her neck.

Caroline giggled before swiftly turning around, and pointing an accusatory index finger at him.

She also lowered her voice.

"Careful, tiger, Elena will be out here any minute. The last thing I want to explain to her is why we're… so touchy feely," she said, and Stefan smirked brightly as he leaned in closer.

The look in his eyes that he was giving her was dangerously sexy, and she wasn't quite sure she could withstand the urge the jump his bones right then and there, now that she thought about it.

They didn't have sex—_"per se"—_last night, but she quickly learned that that flipping the pages in his boring books wasn't the _only _thing Stefan's hands were good for.

_And he was quite talented with that mouth of his, as well. _

"Oh, c'mon, we have supernatural hearing, Care," he said, and she smiled brightly as he ran his fingers along her neck. "We can hear her coming from a mile away."

_She knew that was true. She was also considering the fact that Elena may have been partially deaf, because when she slipped back into bed beside the girl after her and Stefan's very late, and pretty loud activities, the girl didn't budge a bit._

_This was literally their loudest kept secret. _

Caroline sighed happily, but pushed his hands away delicately, before taking in a deep breath and regaining her composure.

She definitely needed to, after the way he was making her mentally relive their night.

"We don't tell anyone," she said in a lowered tone. "Not Damon, not Bonnie… especially not Elena. Not yet."

Stefan nodded, and Caroline let out a sigh of finalization as Elena walked out of the house with her suitcase trailing behind her, and her hair tied into a tight ponytail.

She took a sip of her coffee and smiled gently before stopping before them. Stefan graciously grabbed her things and threw them into the trunk with their own, slamming it hard, and dusting off his hands in accomplishment.

They were getting closer to this awkward threesome being all over.

"So, I take it your flight to Florida won't be so bad, right? Just a few hours?" Caroline asked, as they climbed into the car, and Stefan got behind the wheel.

Elena smiled shortly, and tucked a flyaway behind her hair.

"It wasn't a bad flight here, no," she said carefully, and Stefan looked up and into her eyes from the rear view mirror as he began driving.

"Well, at least it's right around the same time as ours. Makes it easier to carpool," he said, and Caroline rolled her eyes at his dorkiness.

Of course Stefan would be concerned about carpooling.

"Uhm, yeah, about that…" Elena began slowly, and Caroline felt a lump forming in her throat, just by the tone of Elena's voice; what she thought was about to happen was _not _about to happen, right? "I… Don't get mad… at me, for not telling you sooner," Elena prefaced, and Caroline's fingers tightened as she continued to look ahead. "I… actually decided a few days ago… that I want to move to New York."

Caroline swore she heard Stefan's jaw drop, as the vampire continued to look ahead, seemingly paralyzed, and she took in a deep breath before she tuned her ears back into what Elena was saying.

"I just… I think it would a great opportunity to start fresh, with Jeremy not being around and all. And now that me and Matt are over… I don't really have anyone else," she reasoned. "And I—I just want to _fix _everything that went wrong between us. _All _of us. Damon and Bonnie, too," Elena spilled sincerely.

Caroline cleared her throat softly, but still, she didn't know what to say.

What _could _she say, exactly? Elena Gilbert was going to intrude on her New York parade the only way she knew how, and now things would become much more complicated when it came to her and Stefan.

She knew she shouldn't have been thinking of it in terms like that, but she couldn't help it; Elena was going to completely ruin _everything._

"Do you… _Are you _sure this is such a smart idea, Elena? With everything that happened between you and Bonnie?" Caroline asked gently, and the doppelganger sighed hopelessly and shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know? I hope so. I mean… I just want everything to go back to normal," she said softly, as she looked up into the rearview mirror, and into Stefan's eyes. "Back to the way it _should _be."

Stefan looked away immediately, and turned to face Caroline as the blonde literally had a burst of confusion floating beneath her eyes.

What the hell were they supposed to say, really?

_Welcome aboard?_

"Do you… have a place yet?" Caroline asked tightly, and Elena sat up straighter as she took a sip of her drink.

"Yeah, I think so. I have two or three places to check out once I get there. I'm staying at a hotel in the meantime—until I get all settled. I figured that'd be easiest."

"And the least invasive," Caroline almost said, but she bit her tongue.

Anger Management was slowly becoming one of her strong suits.

_Sort of._

Caroline turned to face Stefan, whose olive eyes were still straight ahead as he drove and she licked her tongue over her teeth.

She was sure he could feel her eyes burning into him, but he didn't dare look her way, as he simply continued to drive.

Caroline sunk back into her chair, and shook her head with faux happiness before clapping her hands together with false delight.

If they wanted her to pretend to be happy, she would just have to play the role.

"This is going to be great," she said, in the most chipper tone she could muster, though she felt her heart crumbling.

_Just great._

* * *

"So how are things with you and Damon?" Laila said, on the other end of the line, and Bonnie rolled her eyes, as she shut her bedroom door behind her.

She had barely been home for a few hours, and the girl was already grilling her on everything Salvatore the minute she spoke to her.

Bonnie had to admit it was a bit refreshing. She had spent days talking about only Jeremy, and though her mind was still heavily on him and his untimely, it was nice to pretend like it wasn't, sometimes.

"There is no 'me and Damon,' there's me, and then there's Damon," Bonnie replied, and Laila snorted as phone pressed her cell phone closer to her ear, while she began sifting through her luggage. "And we're fine, I guess. He's… in his room, or the shower or something. I don't know; I don't keep tabs."

"Bonnie, please. He's more than just some super-hot guy you just so happen to be shacking up with. _I _actually think he might be your soul mate," Laila announced and Bonnie scoffed as she tossed her a shirt across the room and into her hamper.

"My 'soul mate?' I can't stand him—"

"But you also can't _stand _to be _without _ him," Laila reasoned, and Bonnie bit her lip. "You guys haven't had 'the talk,' have you?"

Bonnie gulped as she realized just what "talk" Laila was referring to, and she abruptly shook her head as she tossed away a pair of shorts.

"Absolutely not, are you crazy? I—I have _sex _with him, Laila. And he makes me coffee, sometimes. But it's not anything serious—"

"Bonnie. Denial is _not _a good look for you—"

"I'm serious!" she shrieked, though she felt herself lying through her teeth as she recalled she and Damon's moment on her rooftop, where he confessed to wanting to show her the star because he wanted to show her "everything."

Was she already in this much deeper than she had actually thought?

She couldn't be. Not so quickly, anyway.

"Damon doesn't want a relationship."

"How do you know? Did you ask him?"

"I don't need to ask him, Laila; I _know _him. Commitment literally makes him run and scream like a little girl. He's not that type of guy," she lied again, clearly remembering that Damon _could _be that type of guy, if he wanted to be. "We're just… having fun," Bonnie said, and her best friend sighed on the other line.

She felt bad automatically shooting down the idea of her and Damon actually _dating, _but she couldn't help it. She refused to call it by that name, because it simply just made her feel ridiculous. Even while living with Damon, she _still _barely tolerated him, so imagine putting a label on it?

It scared the life out of her.

She was Bonnie and he was Damon, and though they had outgrown the previous roles that they had expected themselves to fill, it would just feel extremely bizarre referring to the Older Salvatore as her boyfriend, of sorts.

Hell; she still had trouble even calling him her _friend._

"If you say so. But you know, _Cosmo_ says that the best lovers are usually those who were friends _first,_" Laila mused, and Bonnie rolled her eyes at the useless fact.

"_Cosmo _would probably advocate the use of chainsaws in bed if somebody wrote in and testified that the sound of one made their husband horny, or something. Stop reading that magazine; it sucks."

Laila laughed heartily as Bonnie shook her head.

There was a knock on the door, and Bonnie sighed as she rose to her feet.

"Listen, I gotta go. But I'll see you tomorrow. For cupcakes at our bakery," Bonnie promised as she neared the door and Laila squealed happily.

"Just what I've been wanting— to break my diet!" she squeaked, and Bonnie laughed as she placed her hand on the door knob. "See you tomorrow, chica."

"Later Lai," Bonnie said, as she ended the call, and she yanked the door open, to find Damon standing there, in just his boxers, as usual, and damp hair from the shower.

He was still using his towel to dry it, in fact.

"Got any Q-tips, Bennett? My ears are clogged," he said, and Bonnie nodded as she turned and walked over towards her dresser, and handed him the box graciously.

She then retreated to the ground, where she continued to unpack her things, and Damon ventured over to the mirror before he finally opened his mouth to speak

"Elena's moving to New York," he said abruptly.

Bonnie looked up from her t-shirt, and her brows furrowed as she looked at him, and he continued to work on his ears in the mirror.

"_She's doing _what?"

"My thoughts exactly," Damon said, before tossing the Q-tip in the garbage, and continuing to dry his hair. "Stefan texted me earlier, and broke the news… Apparently, she wants to 'fix everything that went wrong' between _all_ of us," he said dryly, and Bonnie's mouth tightened.

It was already hard enough still adjusting to Stefan and Caroline, here. Now Elena needed to join, too?

_And what would Elena's constant presence mean for her and Damon?_

Sure, he had told her having Elena around wasn't going to change anything, back in Mystic Falls; but that was before she decided to make herself a permanent resident of the Empire State. Could she really trust Damon and Elena not to fall back within the grasps of one another?

She wasn't entirely sure.

"I need to finish unpacking," Bonnie said suddenly, as she looked up from her bags, and into Damon's eyes. "Is it… okay if we sleep in our own beds, tonight?"

Damon opened his mouth to speak, and then stopped.

They stared at each other for a moment before he finally found the words to say. She could already tell that he was a bit put off by the tone of her voice, but she didn't bother to correct herself.

She always reverted to pushing him away.

"Fine by me," he said quaintly, and Bonnie nodded as she watched him walk towards the door, and prepare to exit. "I'll… see you in the morning."

"Yeah," she replied shortly. "Goodnight, Damon."

He didn't offer a response as he shut the door behind him, and Bonnie let out a breath she had been holding in as the sound of the door down the hall closing resonated throughout her ears.

She pushed the luggage she was working on aside, and reached for the bag—the extra one that she had brought from back home—and opened it; internally frowning at the secret that she was now keeping from Damon.

Bonnie reached her hand inside, and pulled out the oversized spell book; immediately feeling her body tingle as they realized just what she was holding before her.

_Her grimoire._

Bonnie flipped to an open page, and sighed, as she traced her fingers over the words and pictures inside of the ancient book, remembering just what it was like to be a witch, once upon a time.

She had been powerless for far too long, and now, in the wake of Jeremy's death, she had more than a good reason to get back into her magic again.

She knew the consequences; she knew that she ran the risk of developing that _other side _of herself again that was ruthless, reckless, and downright merciless. But she also knew that she had that dream for a reason; she'd _seen _Jeremy again because she was _meant _to—because she was meant to do _this._

She needed to figure out what —or _who_—killed Jeremy Gilbert, and she wouldn't stop until she had answers.

_Even if she drove herself insane._

Bonnie shut her eyes, and began to focus on the spell before her; quietly chanting the words, and imagining the results, just like she had when she had first started to practice witchcraft.

She was going to do this until she was successful—even if it took all night.

_She secretly thanked the Other Side once she realized she had illuminated the candles throughout her bedroom within a mere fifteen minutes._

A/N: Hello everyone! So again, I apologize for the long wait with this update. But with the holidays, things got super crazy. I am, however, super happy that I could bring you this New Year's Eve treat, so I hope you all enjoy it! First off, what did you think about Bonnie/Damon in this chapter and him opening up to her a bit more on the roof? Do you think Damon's kind-of Bonnie's boyfriend (like Laila said) though she won't really admit it? What about their final interaction? Do you think he's going to be upset if he finds out about the magic? Then there was Steroline. FINALLY these two hook-up and everything seems fine, but then Elena drops the bomb that she's coming back to NY with them! Nightmare, right? How do you think they will recover from that? Stefan, especially, who was already shaky on this whole matter to begin with? Lastly, any predictions? Who do you think killed Jeremy, and should Bonnie get back into magic to find out?

As always, thank you all SO much for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate it. I guess you can really call this turning point in the story, & from here on out, a lot of different things/flashbacks will happen, so get ready R&R, and until next time. Happy New Year, loveys! 3


	11. Cosmic Love

**Cosmic Love**

"If I take another shot of vodka tonight, you are _all_ going to disown me," Caroline warned with an accusatory finger, as the bartender slid the alcohol in front of them, and she sighed in preparation.

"Who says we haven't already?" Laila asked mischievously, as she grabbed her shot and flashed her teeth into a toothy grin. "I am 1000% sure you are _all _going to make some bad decisions tonight."

Bonnie scoffed as she lifted her glass with furrowed brows, and gazed at Laila in disbelief.

"Us? _You're _the one who said you were going to find yourself a husband tonight," Bonnie reminded with a soft glaze in her eyes, and Laila laughed heartily.

"Or wife. You know, I'm not picky," she said, and Bonnie rolled her eyes and Caroline laughed, before Laila turned to face the fourth girl in their group for the night with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry—I'm crass. And rude. And drunk. And a little horny, to be honest," she said truthfully, and the brunette laughed gently as she picked up her drink and tipped it in the air.

"It's… fine. This is all absolutely _fine. _I'm not judging, because I'm pretty drunk too, and I'm just… really happy to be here… With _all _of you," she said, as her eyes met Bonnie's in a hopeful stare.

Bonnie returned a casual, but definitely unsure smile, before her thoughts alluded to this morning, and the bizarre phone call that got them here in the first place.

"_I think that we should hang out tonight."_

_Bonnie snapped away, and out of her thoughts, and back to the conversation she was seemingly having on the telephone, though if she were honest, it was about as one-sided as it could possibly be._

_She shook her head brusquely, and pressed the cell phone closer to her ear, as she swallowed a mouthful of tea, and finally replied._

"_Huh?"_

"_I… think we should… have a girl's night, tonight," Elena repeated, bravely, and Bonnie remained quiet as the doppelganger sighed on the other end. "I… have been trying, so hard, not to step on you and Caroline's toes since I've been here, but… I kind of just wanna go out—have fun. Like we used to, Bon. Remember… when we used to have fun?"_

_Bonnie didn't say a word as she let this entire situation filter in, before articulating a response. _

_It was true—Elena had been here for nearly one month in New York, and Bonnie had yet to hang out with her, or even really talk to her, to be honest. She actually found it a bit bizarre when her phone began ringing this morning, and she saw Elena's number, because she didn't even remember giving the girl her own._

_She knew that it wasn't nice, and it wasn't particularly friendly, but Bonnie couldn't help it._

_Between her quest to rediscover her magic, and the slow but growing tension with Damon, she didn't really have much time to worry about what Elena was up to. She figured Caroline was probably keeping her company just fine, until Elena revealed just minutes ago that she hadn't seen much of her either, except for a spontaneous lunch or two._

_So much for putting the burden on Vampire Barbie._

"_Listen, Elena… I would love to, but…" Bonnie trailed off, and stopped herself. _

_What was she to say, exactly? She had never been well-versed in the art of crushing anyone's dreams. Bonnie was a lot of things, but a liar wasn't particularly one of them. Sure, did it when she had to, here and there, and she was quite guilty of hiding the truth on several occasions. But she never lied because she liked to, or because she believed she could get away with it._

_She hated lying, and when it came to the three people who knew her best—Laila, Caroline, and Damon—they all reminded her that she wasn't very good at it either._

_Should she even bother to tell Elena a dirty little fib just to get her off of her back?_

_The doppelganger spoke before she had the chance to._

"_You… still feel uncomfortable around me?" Elena asked, and Bonnie breathed deeply. "Bon, listen; I know that we've had our issues and our problems—I get that. But we were like sisters once upon a time, and I just… I can't throw that away, okay?"_

_Bonnie tapped her spoon against the edge of her mug, as the thoughts in her mind began to run wild._

_Did she really owe it to this girl who was like a sister—and who she had died for—a chance to rectify and resolve the pieces of their broken friendship? Elena wasn't exactly in the running for Friend of the Year, but could she settle for at least having her as an acquaintance?_

_After all, she had given Caroline another shot and things turned out okay. Stefan's fate, on the other hand, was still on the table._

"_I…" Bonnie started, and she exhaled, as she shook her head in affirmation. "Okay," she said meekly, and she swore she could just hear Elena smiling through the receiver. "We'll… go out tonight."_

So here they sat: on the bar stools at some swanky club on the Upper East Side, pounding drinks, as they tried to use the alcohol to make this moment less awkward than it already was. There was music blasting through the speakers, making bits of their conversation between one another barely audible, and the place was quickly beginning to fill up with kids their age, or at the maximum, five years their elder.

The girls, dressed in trendy dresses, wedge heels, and jewelry that cost more than Bonnie's tuition clutched their designer handbags, and ordered Patron at the bar, while nearly every guy was donned to the nines in ties and blazers, with foamy beer in their glasses, and wide smiles on their faces.

These were the type of people Bonnie had become accustomed to while attending NYU, yet, she still didn't feel like she quite fit in.

Even with her long, flowing dark hair in loose waves that made her look a bit like a mermaid, and gold shadow that expertly brought out the amber specs in her olive eyes, she felt a lot out of place. Laila had convinced her to wear this sweet but super sexy little black number that hugged her hips tightly, and stopped mid-thigh—showing off her toned legs beautifully. The top of the dress was carefully crafted around the chest, with angelic embroidery, that accentuated her boobs a bit more than she would have liked to be honest.

She was convinced she was overdone and overdressed, but when she saw the other girls, she held her objections.

They _all _looked gorgeous, as Laila chose a flaming red dress with a neck line plunged so low, Bonnie was sure something—or someone—would get lost in it. Caroline was super girly as usual, in a pretty pink halter dress that showcased her toned shoulders, and her hair pinned up with crystal bobby pins.

And Elena?

She had ambitiously channeled her inner sex goddess.

She traded her typical small town fashion for high profile chic, as her formally pin-straight chestnut brown hair was now curled and highlighted with subtle hints of auburn, and a smooth plum red color. Her dress was a creamy off-white shade with studded metallic straps that bared her back 95 percent, nearly down to where her dimples began.

Seeing Elena made Bonnie feel much less exposed, and perhaps a tad more easygoing. As long as every guy was checking her out, Bonnie could avoid any and every bit of unwanted attention.

She liked to believe that it was because she was "maturing," but she sighed softly before taking a sip of her drink and mentally picturing her _real _reason for wanting to behave herself.

_Damon._

Sure, he wasn't her "boyfriend," or anything, and they had been on the outs for the past few weeks as she made up reasons to avoid him so that she could practice her magic, and he surprisingly took on an interesting business venture, but something in her thoughts always brought her back to him.

Bonnie winced at the taste of the liquor sliding down her throat, before slamming the glass back on the counter, and rubbing her hands together.

_She shouldn't have been thinking about him._

Practicing magic and researching the events surrounding Jeremy's "accident" was not only enough to keep her busy, but also a great reason to keep her distance. Damon would, no doubt, be very angry with her once he learned she was a practicing witch again, planning on uncovering the story behind her ex-lovers death by doing a bunch of spiritual things that were seriously banned by nature for a reason.

She was not only putting herself in magical danger, but the physical kind as well, by knowingly putting a target on her back for who—or what—actually caused Jeremy to perish. She knew she was being reckless, but she couldn't exactly stop it; the only way to get big results was to make big moves.

And Bonnie was doing just that.

She had to do right by Jeremy and by herself, too. And this was the only way.

But it was easier said than done when she remembered her and Damon's latest exchange this morning that remained fresh in her mind, as the high lingered with her all day.

_Damon strolled into the kitchen, wearing a nice, designer black suit, with a skinny tie, and his hair brushed away from his forehead for the first time since Laila's party at the loft._

_Bonnie nearly dribbled the tea out of her mouth once she caught a glance of him, as he made his way over to the coffee maker, and prepared himself a mug._

"_Should I be worried that it smells like a medicinal marijuana dispensary in here?" he asked into the air, and Bonnie wiped the corner of her mouth with her thumb before placing her enhanced morning tea on the table, and reaching for her toast._

"_It's just spirit tea," she said, and he raised his eyebrow suspiciously. "It helps to… clear my head," Bonnie added, and Damon tapped his fingers against the counter before his eyes met hers._

"_Maybe I should have a cup then… Maybe it'll relax me before my meeting today."_

_Bonnie scoffed as she finished off her drink and shook her head._

"_You're actually nervous?" she asked a bit incredulously, and Damon laughed in response as he watched the coffee fill quickly._

"_As if, Bennett. I may not have owned a fancy wine company before in my hundred-some-odd years on this earth, but that doesn't mean I'm afraid. It's just new, is all."_

_Bonnie nodded in response at his gleaming confidence, and sighed internally._

_Here he was; Damon Salvatore, getting ready to take on one of the biggest things he would ever try in his adulthood , and here she was, drowning herself in a bunch of herbs that were probably still illegal in the state of New York._

_She was happy for him, of course, that he randomly decided to embark on his entrepreneurial instincts, and in turn, land himself something that he could call his own. But it didn't make her feel like any less of a do-nothing; especially because she was still harping on Jeremy's death, still practicing magic to uncover the mystery behind his accident, and still lying to Damon about it._

_Perhaps she was a better liar than she thought, because instead of grilling her to the fifth degree on why she was suddenly so "busy" and avoiding him so much, he became busy himself and didn't ask her a thing about it._

_If there was one thing that could distract Damon's attention away from Bonnie, it was alcohol. And now that he was working with it, she expected even more solitude and the inevitable continuance of her secret._

_It was a blessing in disguise, to her._

_If she and Damon weren't talking as much, there was no time to discuss the current status of their non-relationship, or the feelings that she wasn't quite ready to succumb to, yet. Bonnie needed to be focus and careful when it came to practicing magic again, and Damon was the distraction that would provide her with neither option._

_The less attention he paid to her, the better._

_But he couldn't ignore her completely._

_Bonnie listened to his footsteps approaching, and she felt both of his hands land comfortably on her shoulders, she knew that she had believed in his indifference to soon._

_Damon did care about her, whether she wanted to believe it or not, and just because they were talking less these days didn't really change a thing. He was and would always be there for her, whether he had joined the traveling circus or become an aerospace engineer. _

_Bonnie shut her eyes as his hands began a slow massage over her tense shoulders, and she sighed as the feeling slowly awakened the fighting passion that sit just beneath her soul, when it came to him._

_He always knew how to touch her in all the right places to make her feel good. She adored and resented him for that._

"_I was thinking…" Damon began softly, as his fingertips teased their way up her neck, and began to draw small circles beneath her hair. "We should have dinner tonight, when I come home. Some candles, some cocktails… that Blanquette de Veau you've been dying for me to make," he whispered, into her ear, before kissing it ever so softly to drive home his suggestion._

_Bonnie shivered accordingly—because honestly, who wouldn't at the instance of Damon speaking French—before letting out a deep breath and trying to stop her fingers from trembling._

"_It's Girl's Night," she revealed, as he continued to pepper her skin with kisses. _

"_You mean I'm not you're only friend?" he asked, as his hands rose beneath the back of her shirt, and she took in a deep breath at the sudden warmth along her cheeks. "I'm not sure I like that."_

"_Too bad," she exhaled, as she suddenly jerked away from his movements, and rose out of her chair to begin to wash her now empty mug. "It's about time I get out and do something—I'm getting cabin fever just hanging around," she added as she turned on the faucet._

_Damon licked his lips before joining her at the sink and watching her shaky hands, as she poured soap on the mug, and began to lather up the cup appropriately._

_He imagined what else he wished she could be doing with those hands, right now._

"_That's funny," Damon said, and she felt his blue eyes crashing against her strongly, "It feels like you haven't been around at all, Bennett. I'd probably forget what you look like if I didn't take those delicious pictures of ya with my trusty iPhone," he said, and she hissed with disgust._

"_Delete those, please," she said, as she remembered Damon's little photo fetish that she may or may not have enabled a bit by giving him permission to "capture" a few things in the heat of the moment._

_Bad idea._

_Damon crossed his arms, and stared at her strongly until her eyes finally met his. He spoke immediately._

"_What the hell did I do to you to make you so pissed off?" he asked honestly, and Bonnie huffed as she rinsed the mug, and shook her head._

"_Damon, let it go. You have a meeting, and—"_

"_You're full of shit," he interrupted, and her mouth widened._

"_Excuse me?"_

"_You heard me, Bonnie Bennett. You are full of shit. Because if you really think I care more about going to that meeting right now than figuring this out with you, you don't even know me at all."_

_Damon began to walk away, and Bonnie grabbed him by the hand strongly; feeling her own bits of rage slowly swelling in her chest as her grip tightened around his skin._

"_I didn't say that."_

"_You didn't have to!" he exclaimed, and she pursed her lips. "I try so unbelievably hard to make whatever 'this' is between us, _work, _Bonnie, and all you do is take us right back to the goddamn start!" Damon added, as he ripped his wrist out of her grasp and gazed into her eyes. "Do you really hate me that much?"_

"_I don't hate you, Damon! I've _never _hated you!"_

"_Then what _do _you feel, Bonnie? Because last I checked, I'm in for all for this. I like being with you—I enjoy all of the annoying shit that you do, and judgy things that you say… I said all of those things back on your roof because I meant it—"_

"_I know you did, Damon, and I believe you! I believe in you," Bonnie answered, and Damon stared at her for a long minute before boldly leaning in and pressing his lips against hers._

_It was the first time they'd kissed in three weeks, but it didn't feel any less electric, as Damon's mouth formed against hers, greedily tugging at her lips, and vivaciously corresponding with her tongue._

_Bonnie let out a soft whimper, as the kiss left her damn near breathless, and she gently pushed him away before looking down to the ground._

_Damon watched as Bonnie wiped her lips, and he rolled his eyes before brushing past her and out of the kitchen._

"_Damon—"_

"_Save it, Bonnie. I know exactly what good old fashioned rejection tastes like," she heard from the living room, before he exited the apartment, and slammed the door shut._

"Speaking of significant others," Elena said easily, as she swiveled on her stool, and Bonnie snapped out of her thoughts and back into the conversation that she had apparently been missing. "What's the scoop? I'm sure you guys have fun little distractions to keep you all preoccupied, while I've been so graciously reminded that I am all alone every single time Matt texts me to see how I'm doing," she said, and Bonnie and Caroline automatically shifted apprehensively, as if on cue.

Their boyfriend situations were the _last _things they wanted to talk about right now. Bonnie and Caroline hadn't even talked about their current situations with _each other_ yet and they damn sure didn't want to do it with Elena. It was enough for Bonnie that Elena had knocked on her door in the middle of a sex romp with Damon, catching the girl in nothing more than a robe, with blatantly obvious bite marks on her neck.

And Caroline?

She didn't want to begin to know that judgment that would be upon her for actually hooking up with Stefan Salvatore while Elena was sound asleep, and keeping it hidden from everyone. It was completely against girl code to get frisky with your friend's ex-boyfriend this way; especially given the history that Stefan and Elena shared. Sure, she had gone for Matt, and things went back and forth between her and Elena for him, but he was never her _epic love. S_he was completely okay with him moving on with his life because he was nothing more than a friend, and she so graciously wished him the best in the end.

Elena, on the other hand, would _definitely _care that Caroline had gone to third base with Stefan, and would so readily do it again if his conscious wasn't so stupid and _noble, _as he suggested they cool things off for a while, in the wake of Elena's move to New York.

He didn't want to hurt anybody's feelings, and that was understandable. But God, that didn't make her want him to push her up against a wall and do extremely despicable, but satisfying, things to her, any less.

It was extremely frustrating _living _with someone you were hopelessly attracted to, she realized. Especially when they had a smile like his, and could make her laugh the way that he did.

She resented Elena Gilbert much more than she would ever admit. And she felt pathetically shallow about that.

Caroline and Bonnie watched on quietly as Laila was answering Elena's burning question with an apathetic wave of the hand and a simple shrug of her shoulders.

"I'm forever alone," Laila said, as the bartender handed her a new drink. "And who knows with these two," she said, pointing to Bonnie and Caroline. "Caroline has a few stalkers down at the bar that we work at and Bonnie—"she started, but stopped when she watched the girl's face turn to a ghostly white. Laila cleared her throat, and smiled awkwardly as she caught onto the fact that Damon was apparently in the _Do Not Discuss _pile. "She does… well."

Bonnie sighed as she glanced at Elena, who was staring at her curiously, and she bit her lip.

"I know," Elena said, as she started her new drink, and nodded her head. "I know that she and Damon are happy, and I'm… happy for them."

Bonnie nearly choked on the air that she was breathing as she stared into Elena's eyes that were full of understanding as she gingerly held onto her drink and a gentle smile cascaded across her lips.

What the hell was she to say to that? Elena was actually _congratulating _her on her situation with Damon? Was she in the Twilight Zone?

She cleared her throat, and shook her head firmly, before reaching for her next drink.

"Damon and I aren't dating," she said with a stoic tone, and Laila rolled her eyes. "It's… complicated," she admitted, and Elena frowned at that.

"But… you two were really cute in Virginia," Elena said, and Bonnie snorted.

"Cute doesn't last," she said flatly, before looking down and mixing her drink. "Besides, with his wine thing now, and me figuring out what I want to do at school, maybe it's… for the best," she said in a voice feigning indifference. "He is Damon, after all."

_So very special, Damon Salvatore. _

"That he is," Caroline said, with a tip of her glass, and a shake of her head. "He's ridiculous."

"Oh, please, Care. You only say that because _you _room with the 'perfect' one. Stefan, right?" Laila joked, and Caroline ifelt her hands heating up just at the mere mention of his name. "Do tell me; does he _always _look like such a Greek God, or is that just hours of man-makeup? I need to know if my wet dreams are accurate," the girl added, and Caroline nearly spit out her drink at Laila's bluntness, as Bonnie and Elena busted out into laughter.

Laila shrugged her shoulders flippantly as she sipped her drink.

"Look, I don't wanna marry or even date the guy. He's too honorable, not interested. I just need to know if he's a good lay."

Elena nodded slowly, as she ran her slow fingers through her hair, and offered a devious smile.

"_Fantastic," _she said, dragging out each syllable, and Caroline's face immediately felt hot. "Stefan is _fantastic _in bed. He's just… he's so attentive, and commanding, and he has these hands—" Elena stopped, and covered her mouth to stifle a drunken giggle before shaking her head. "Oh my God, I need to stop. I haven't been with Stefan in forever. It ended. I'm over it."

"Are you, Elena?" Caroline asked suddenly, and Bonnie's eyes shot to her like a hawk. "Because you talk about him, _a lot,_" she said with masked hostility in her voice.

Elena was too drunk to pick up on the aggression, as she ran her hands through her hair before letting her curls tumble against her skin again. Bonnie bit her lip in anticipation, as a curious Laila watched the tense moment unfolding right before their very eyes.

Elena smiled, and shrugged.

"I... messed up when it came to Stefan. And I think about it all the time, so I guess it ends up being what I talk about," Elena said carefully, though Caroline's eyes looked like daggers. "Truth is… I still love him—I'm still _in love _with him… I'd do anything to get him back," Elena spilled and Bonnie felt her chest tighten as she looked to Caroline who was barely containing her outrage, though Elena was too absorbed in her thoughts to even realize it.

Seriously? What made this girl so unaware, sometimes?

Before Caroline could prepare herself to grab the girl by the throat, another voice broke into their confession, and they all whipped around eagerly to see just where the words were coming from.

"_Bonnie?"_

She felt her heart stop when the guy's spectacular bright eyes met hers, and he smiled faithfully, just as he had the first time she met him.

She didn't know why, but suddenly, it felt harder to breathe.

"Chase, hey," she said, with strange relaxation suddenly settling onto her cheeks, as he leaned in and gave her a welcoming hug. "What are you doing here?"

The other girls watched on in curiosity but equalized silence as Bonnie tucked a strand behind her ear, and suddenly felt flustered by the stranger's presence.

She'd met him once, at Laila's party, but for some reason, she felt like she almost knew him better than that, as he gazed into her eyes deeply, and smiled happily.

When Chase stepped in a bit closer to shield his words from the loudness of everything around her, Bonnie instantaneously remembered just how _good looking _he was.

Tall, blonde, and built had always been a favorite of hers. That went without saying. So, it didn't help that he was also so charming, as well.

"Guy's night out," he said simply, before he took her hand into his own, and kissed the top of it ever-so-lightly. "But I was hoping to see you again."

Fire spat through her veins, and he must have felt it, because he smiled ingeniously, as he set his gaze on hers once more.

Those eyes were just so damn hypnotic, she thought.

Laila broke the air of flirtatiousness between them with a loud clearing of her throat, and Bonnie suddenly remembered that she, Caroline, and Elena were witnessing this entire thing.

_Oops._

"Chase, it's great to see you again," Laila said gently as he smiled her way. "But we were just going to dance," she said, as she rose to her feet, and Caroline and Elena did as well.

Bonnie nodded at that, and hopped up; almost with slight embarrassment of just how awkward this situation really was. Her eyes met Chase's apologetically as Laila's tone made it clear that she was _not _Team Buff Blonde, for she had already made her vote clear for the only guy that she believed Bonnie _should_ waste her time on.

_Laila was firmly on Team Damon._

"Maybe I'll see you around," Bonnie said softly, and the guy tucked a flyaway behind her ear gently.

His dazzling eyes traced along her face as if he were committing her to memory. And with each passing second, she was becoming more and more enthralled by his advances.

But Laila was right; he _wasn't _Damon, and this was probably just some weird, misplaced affection of hers that she actually needed to give to the vampire, rather than some total stranger.

Chase was hot, but he wasn't _him, _and he never could be. It was a shame, actually.

"Enjoy your night, love," Chase said with a slow smile.

She didn't have a chance to answer that, as she felt Laila's hand slowly tugging her away and towards the dance floor in seconds flat.

It wasn't long before her hands were in the air, and she was swaying to the beat of some hardcore dance music that filtered throughout the club and into her ears. Laila, Caroline, and Elena were dancing as well, as the four girls habitually moved with each other, garnering the positive attention of many patrons in the place as they danced beside them.

Bonnie shut her eyes, and she felt a smile curl at her lips, for the first real time that day, as she spun with the music, and slowly but surely buried all of her doubts, fears, and worries.

When she reopened her eyes and glanced in Chase's direction to find the guy was still transfixed on her, she flashed him a grin before turning away once more to join Caroline as she sang the words to the song blasting through the speakers.

For now, she felt free; as if there was nothing in the world that could have stopped her.

_She knew this feeling, once before._

XXXXX

"There is not enough bourbon in the world to make me care about this music," Damon said, as the bartender slid his drink, and Stefan tucked a hand into his pocket to glance at the time on his phone before putting it away just as quickly.

"Well, good thing you're not here for the DJ. You came for a meal. Have you decided upon one yet?"

"Meh."

Damon's piercing blue eyes cascaded across the club as he leaned against the bar lazily filtering his options when it came to the woman he would feast on for the night. He and Stefan had decided on going out for the night after he broke the news about his fancy new wine company, and so here they were, observing the crowd and washing down their distaste with drinks in hand.

Damon hadn't had fresh human blood in nearly a month or so, and now with his boiling anger towards Bonnie just hiding beneath the surface, he was ready to say _fuck it _to her rules about indecency, and find himself a plaything. She couldn't be mad at him for it after what happened this morning, and he figured he'd take advantage of that while he still could.

But the pickings were slim.

_Too tall, too pale, too desperate_ were his reactions as he glanced around at Manhattan's supposed "elite" and wrinkled his nose in annoyance.

Sure; a lot of these girls were hot, but none of them seemed interesting, if he were completely honest.

Every single one of them was a clone of someone else. And yes, self-conscious sorority girls were usually his style when it came to fine dining, but something within him was fighting for him to choose an interesting entrée, rather than his typically meaningless one.

He figured this was still his anger with Bonnie talking. His subconscious wanted him to prove to her that he didn't need to wait around for her; that he could find something just as _delicious _if he really set his mind to it. He already knew he wouldn't _need _compulsion, but if he were going to find someone intellectually decent, there was no way she would allow him to chomp down into her neck just for fun.

His options were limited, even with endless possibilities on the table.

Damon glanced around and sighed in boredom.

This was the fourth place already, and still, he couldn't make up his goddamn mind. Was he really just doomed to crave Bonnie for an eternity because he was actually stupid enough to think he could replace her?

"You could just have a blood bag," Stefan reminded, and Damon rolled his eyes. "Gets the job done just fine."

"You are so incredibly boring," Damon replied, and Stefan shrugged as he sipped his beer. "Where's the Ripper you when I need him? He makes a better wingman."

"Stefan chuckled in response, though Damon's eyes were completely serious.

"So you want a wingman, Damon? Not my actual company? Can't say I'm not a little hurt, brother."

"Bite me," Damon replied, and Stefan rolled his eyes. "This place sucks and so do yo—" Damon started and stopped, when his eyes suddenly shot up to the two girls dancing on the second bar across the way, hand-in-hand, without a goddamn worry in the world.

He swallowed hard when he realized he _knew _those two girls, and now his general anger from before was suddenly dissolving into mere confusion the longer he watched them moving with the beat.

He expected this from Caroline and Laila who, by his slight knowledge, were supposed to be here, too.

_So what the hell was Bonnie doing up there dancing with Elena?_

The two had been the epitome of wallflowers when it came to things like this, and suddenly, they were capturing the attention of every single guy—and respective girl—that was in this joint?

Damon had seen enough.

He made a move to walk, and Stefan grabbed him by the shoulder harshly.

Of all the bars and clubs in New York City, he was here, staring her right into the face, and trying to remain as tough as nails, though just the thought of her turned his mind into jelly.

What were the fucking chances?

"Please don't march over there like you're her dad, Damon. I'm warning you that it won't go too well."

Damon stopped as he considered Stefan's words, and chewed his lip.

His brother was right; barreling through the crowd, and yanking Bonnie down would probably be a suicide mission, if he said so himself. Bonnie was a lady, but she was also a fighter, and she would most definitely punch him in the face if he rummaged his way over like the Fun Police, and tried to impose on the good time she was so clearly having.

It was also safe to say that Stefan was not too excited about the fact that he was now in the same place as Elena _and _Caroline, as he watched the blonde and Laila making their ways back over towards Bonnie and the doppelganger, drinks in hand and determination on their faces.

He was fucked, to put it quite simply.

So, with a bitter exchange between the two, the brother's now had to decide on their next course of action: would they put themselves in the line of fire by interrupting "Girl's Night," or would they turn around, walk away, and pretend they didn't see any of this?

Damon's mind was officially made up when he watched Bonnie slither down from the bar, and about five different guys whistled when she made it onto her feet.

_He was going over there._

Stefan mentally prepared himself for World War III as he walked behind him, and Damon made his way through the crowd, and over to a laughing and smiling Bonnie Bennett who was twirling the ends of her dark and wavy hair.

Stefan wasn't now or ever trying to get with Bonnie, but even he could admit to being stupendously attracted to her in this very moment. Something about her was just so _confident _right now, and anybody staring at her long enough would easily become victim to her spell, as glorious allure seeped from her veins. He shook his head with frustration, as he blocked the thoughts and matured back to his own problems.

Caroline and Elena.

He did a quick mental prayer the minute they appeared before them, and the girls glanced at them in surprise.

It really was a small world, after all. Way, way, way too small.

"Asshole and Asshole's Brother! Funny seeing you here," Laila said first, as she gave Stefan a polite kiss on the cheek, and flicked Damon's nose in her typical fashion. "Who invited you to Girl's Night?"

"Fate, apparently," Damon said, as he glanced at Bonnie, and her olive eyes studied his. "Having fun?"

"Obviously," Elena said with a dreamy gaze in her eyes, as she looked at Stefan immediately, and tried to fight her smile. "I'm glad you're here."

Caroline folded her arms across her chest, and Stefan noticed it immediately as he took in a deep breath.

This was even worse than he imagined it to be.

"I'm gonna go smoke a cigarette," Laila said, sensing the weird tension between everyone, and deciding to relinquish herself from it immediately. "Who's coming?"

"I am," Caroline said firmly, and without another word, she followed the girl out, leaving Bonnie there with Damon, and Elena smiling at Stefan, as if she had just won an Olympic Gold Medal.

_Fantastic._

"So, is this a coincidence, or are you stalking me?" Bonnie asked the moment Stefan and Elena walked off to get him another drink, and Damon snorted as he folded his arms.

"Pure coincidence. We live together, Bonnie. If I wanna see you in next to nothing, I can walk into your bedroom."

Bonnie's eyes narrowed at his and Damon's pointed as well.

This had the potential to get really ugly if they would let it. They could only guess at who would be the first one to call surrender, and shoot this entire thing down.

No one, yet.

"Are you more upset about this morning or the fact that people are looking at me?" she asked honestly, and his jaw ticked.

"I have to choose one?" he asked, and she rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, Bonnie—but yes, I _do _get a little possessive," Damon admitted in a rough tone. "Especially if you're gonna go out dressed like _that _right after I got into an argument with you."

Bonnie sighed before shrugging her shoulders and lowering her voice.

"I just needed to have some fun… after everything. I was feeling a bit—"

"Relieved?"

"Guilty," she said, and Damon's brow's furrowed. "I feel… bad about what happened this morning, Damon. And… I'm sorry," Bonnie nodded, much to his surprise.

Did she really just apologize to him for what had happened? He honestly hadn't seen that one coming.

"Don't apologize because you feel bad for me, Bennett," he spat immediately, as he took a step back. "I don't need your sympathy—

"It isn't sympathy, Damon, it's honesty," she answered, and he pursed his lips. "I want to stay away from you, because this isn't right. There are just… too many things that can go wrong—that _will _go wrong—if I let myself go there with you again, and I don't know what to do about it," Bonnie admitted.

Damon's eyes shone as he stared at her eagerly, and Bonnie had to turn away simply to evade his stare.

"Do what feels right, Bonnie," he urged, as she continued to look away. "Do what you _want _to do—"

"I want to stop lying to you about evertything—"

"So be honest," Damon challenged, and her eyes finally looked into his again, though her body was shaking with nervousness. "What do you feel for me, Bonnie?"

Bonnie's breath quickened as she tried to control the feeling in the pit of her stomach, but failed the minute she tried to verbalize it into words.

"I can't tell you, Damon…" she said, and his eyes sunk before she placed a hand on his cheek and caressed it. "But maybe I can show you. Let's go."

XXXXX

"_So, how long have you and Stefan been fucking behind everyone's backs?" _

Caroline glanced up from her nearly finished cigarette with wide eyes to see Laila staring directly back at her with no hesitation in her eyes or wavering in her voice.

It definitely caught Caroline by surprise, though she knew exactly how bold her friend could be. Caroline let out a short scoff and shook her head.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said, and Laila laughed in disbelief as she blew out a puff of smoke into the New York City air.

"You're kidding, right? Between your little outburst to Elena, and then you basically running the other way when he walked in, it is _so _obvious that you two have a secret," Laila replied, and Caroline's cheeks warmed.

"We're not having sex," Caroline stated firmly, though her mind carried her back to that one time in the Boarding House when they didn't exactly "just kiss" either. "He… maybe finagled my lady parts once, I guess. Whatever, it's not a big deal," she said dismissively, and Laila's eyes widened as she nearly choked on the smoke.

"You hooked up with Stefan?" she nearly screamed, and Caroline pressed an index to her lips to quiet her immediately. "Why didn't you tell me? Does Bonnie know?"

"No one knows, and I want to keep it that way," Caroline said as she shook her head. "And I'm sure he does, too, now that his 'epic love' has come back to claim him."

Laila bit her lip as she watched the growing hurt in Caroline's eyes, and remained silent until the girl spoke again. She had a feeling Caroline had yet to truly vent about her feelings for Stefan, and it didn't help that he was her roommate on top of it. And now with Elena back, Caroline was in a lose-lose situation, whether she stepped aside to let the two get back together, or stepped in to prevent it.

Caroline was screwed either way.

"It's just… it's not fair," Caroline eased, as she flicked away the butt of the cigarette, and folded her arms. "Stefan and I… had something that could have finally been real after so long of waiting, and now… she just comes back, and I can see it in his eyes that a part of him is happy about that. A part of him wants her, Laila—"

"But the other part wants you," the girl cinterrupted, and Caroline sighed. "I think… you just need to figure out which part is stronger."

"I think I know—he's in there with _her_—"

"Because you left him there," Laila said, and Caroline immediately shut her lips. "I understand that you don't wanna chase him, and that's fine, Care—you shouldn't. But why not show him that you can't be defeated so easily? Why not give him a taste of his own medicine?"

Caroline ran her fingers through her hair and shrugged her shoulders, though she was a bit intrigued.

"What do you suggest?"

"I suggest that you show him just what the hell he's missing."

XXXXX

"Judgy, I know that I brought you onto that roof that _one _time, but I didn't realize it was going to lead to you wanting to permanently one-up me when it came to heights," Damon said, as he stood there stoically, and Bonnie slammed the door behind them before dusting off her hands.

"And I didn't realize you were going to be such a bitch about this," she answered, and he wrinkled his expression.

"Takes one to know one."

She sharply pinched his arm, and he growled in response.

He probably deserved that.

"What are we doing up here?" Damon finally asked, as they walked out onto the surface and Bonnie sighed, as she took in the surprisingly fresh smell of the air, as they stood atop the flat roof of the twenty story apartment building that they lived in.

Damon had never been up here—not even once—as he barely remembered that things like this existed in the city; flat roofs that you could so easily reach if you climbed enough staircases, and had enough keys.

Or in their case, simply went exploring.

The door to the roof had been unlocked when they came upon it, and Damon wondered if Bonnie had known that previously, or had just tried her luck. He suspected it was prior knowledge, which led him to wonder just what the hell this girl had been doing on this roof, ever, alone.

He soon realized he was going to find out as Bonnie moved forward and stepped dangerously close to the edge. His first reaction was to grab her, until Bonnie held up a hand and stopped him.

"Relax. I'm not gonna jump," she said, and he breathed smoothly. "I just… I need to show you something important," she said, as her eyes looked down at the smaller buildings before them, and then back over her shoulder to him.

"Do you trust me?"

Damon didn't say anything though the answer to that question was obviously clear.

Of course he trusted her; he trusted her more than life itself. And even through his anger and frustration, his feelings for her never changed. Bonnie Bennett had a hold on his heart, and she would for all time, at this point.

There was no use in pretending he wanted or desired anything but the moment that she would fully recognize this as well—the moment when she would finally let herself be _his._

"You know that's a dumb question, right?" Damon said, and Bonnie held her hand out for him to retrieve in return.

"I figured I'd make sure," she answered, and his skin tingled. "Look down."

Damon exhaled as he looked at the buildings, lights, and cars moving on the busy street beneath them. The city was just so illuminated.

Sure, New York was the "city that never sleeps," but up until now, he didn't really pay attention to that.

Call it his lack of observance, but he didn't really notice just how much this life depended upon light until it all went pitch black.

Damon stumbled backwards a bit as the sudden darkness of the city swept over them, and his eyes shot to meet hers. Bonnie turned around to look at him, and he shook his head in disbelief.

"Bonnie… what the _hell—_did you just do that?"

Bonnie pursed her lips as she walked over towards him—only guided by the faint light of the stars above—and his eyes still seemed to be just as bright as ever; even in the darkness.

She drowned out the noises of the honking cars from below that were now all at a standstill as every light in Manhattan had vanished, and left them stuck in their places as they tried to decipher the city-wide blackout. Bonnie looked into Damon's confused face and let out a deep breath.

It was now or never.

"Damon, relax."

"Are you fucking crazy?" he shot back, and she cocked her head in annoyance. "What the hell is going on?"

Bonnie didn't respond as she closed her eyes and pressed her hands together, and Damon watched on in surprise as she didn't chant a word, yet, the air around suddenly began to light up again.

This time, with the help of nature, as Damon stood paralyzed—watching what looked like tiny little balls of cosmic fire surrounding them so rapidly, he was convinced his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Bonnie, still with eyes shut tightly, lifted her arms slowly into the air, and more of the glistening sparkles seemed to descend upon them almost instantly, until they were fully surrounded by what looked like their very own starry night.

"Bonnie—"Damon started, and she opened her eyes to look at him directly, though the air filled with stars around them proved to be quite magical and very distracting.

She had done this, all on her own, and it was the first big thing she had achieved since retrieving her powers back.

It was almost dreamlike.

"They're not real, unfortunately," she said, and Damon continued to observe the star-filled air before he looked at her. "It's kind of an illusion—"

"Bonnie," he said firmly, and she was snapped out of her celestial thoughts as her shiny olive eyes met his. "What is going on?" he asked one final time and Bonnie breathed in a deep breath before shaking her head and licking her lips.

"I have my powers back," she said, and his brows knitted. "And before you say anything, or try to talk me out of this, I should let you know that you can't—you _won't_," Bonnie warned, and he let out an exasperated sigh. "This is… who I am, Damon… who I was meant to be… and I can't hide behind the mask of being a human when this is where my heart really is—"

"This is what nearly got you killed!" he yelled, and Bonnie exhaled. "This is crazy! I can't do this again, Bonnie—"

"So, don't," she said, and his eyes widened. "Leave if you have to, because you don't want to deal with this, but I'm standing my ground; there are things going on, Damon—reasons that forced me to tap into this again, and I won't turn my back on them… And if you can't handle that, then maybe leaving is your best option," she said in an even tone as she moved in closer towards him, and through the luminosity of the shining stars. "But just know that you aren't leaving because I want you to… I want you to stay."

Damon remained still as Bonnie now was inches away from him, with a strong look of serenity in her eyes that he hadn't quite seen in a very long time. It was hard trying not to fall for that look, but damn't, he couldn't help it. Especially not when she placed both her hands on his shoulders and pulled him in even closer.

It was as though the entire universe was in her eyes.

"I want to be with you, Damon," she said confidently, and his chest swelled at the words spilled from her lips. "But only if you can accept this; only if you can accept _everything _that I am."

Damon didn't say a word as Bonnie blinked softly, and her fingers tapped against the skin of his neck.

She was staring at him—waiting for _him—_and just like that, the ball had been thrown back into his court. It was the first time since over a year ago that Bonnie had admitted her feelings for him so freely, and he couldn't help but feel cautious about it all.

_After all, he had been burned pretty badly the last time it happened._

But now; now there was something in her eyes—something _real —_that wanted him to see beyond his doubts, and just _believe _her. Sure, he was still pissed off that she had done all of this behind his back in the first place, but could he truly fault her for that now? Especially when she was baring everything that she was, and daring him to accept it?

Damon let out a breath, and his forehead tilted against Bonnie's in an endearing fashion. Should he take a gamble on this—on her—and pray that things didn't turn out the way they had before?

Her lips pressed to his, and his eyes shut quickly as he drowned in his bliss.

_Yes. Yes he would._

Damon's hands pushed through her waves, and Bonnie had to stand on the tips of her feet to kiss him back, before the vampire so readily swept her into his arms, and her legs wrapped around his torso.

To hell with discretion, he thought, as he cradled her tightly at the thighs, and laid her down onto the ground before him.

He waited—what felt like a millennia—for this to happen and now it finally was; Bonnie was his, and there was no question about it, as his lips crashed against hers, over and over again.

Bonnie flipped him beneath her, and Damon readily accepted it, as she easily tore through his shirt, and planted her lips against his neck and chest. His hands cupped her hair eagerly as he opened his eyes and saw stars, literally, when he looked at her.

It was almost as if he was floating in them with just how high he was feeling, and he realized she must have read his thoughts, because within moments, they were doing just that.

A slow and steady force pulled him up the harder she kissed him, and Damon smirked as he looked at her silly grin while she manipulated the air and gravity surrounding them. She really was full of her fire again, and even if he were opposed to magic, he could not be opposed to this; Bonnie finally and ultimately being _happy. _

"This is going to make things pretty interesting," he observed, as they floated well above two feet off of the ground, and she smiled as she slowly unzipped her dress, before watching it trickle to the ground.

His eyes melted against her skin before she kissed him again; his lips burned with desire as she whispered directly onto them a string of words that excited him in more ways than one.

"_Show me what you've got, Damon."_

**A/N: Hello, all! So I wrote, rewrote this chapter at least five times, and I hope the wait was worth it! There was a lot of stuff that happened so leave your thoughts, predictions, and answers as to what happens next with Caroline/Stefan/Elena, Bonnie/Damon/Magic, and anything else that may be on your mind. ;) Thank you so much for reading—I love you all, and until next time! **


	12. Eyes on Fire

**Eyes on Fire**

Damon's eyes fluttered open gently as he watched Bonnie walking back into his bedroom quietly, wearing nothing but a lacy midnight blue bra and underwear set, and holding two steaming mugs in her hand.

The lingerie was from _La Perla, _she told him last night, before he so recklessly peeled it off of her, and got down to business. He considered it an appropriate reaction to what had just occurred minutes before.

Bonnie finally admitted her feelings to him—her actual wanting to _be with him—_and he couldn't have been happier that the witch had bravely come clean about it. Sure, it took her way more time than he desired, but nevertheless, she'd said it, and now they were officially _together._

_They'd even consummated the fact on the rooftop of their apartment building, beneath the stars, while the better part of Manhattan was suffering from a "blackout" caused by Miss Bennett herself. What a way to start it off with a bang; literally._

Damon was eased out of his thoughts as Bonnie slid back into his bed, and he sighed before slipping a hand around her waist, and drawing her in a bit closer.

How she looked this _good _in the morning after a night of _him, _the world would never know.

"I was beginning to think you'd realized just how drunk you were last night, and you took off to write up a speech about why none of it should have happened," Damon said, as Bonnie placed the second mug into his hand and scoffed.

"I woke up early and made us spirit tea, you jerk. I decided to do something nice since you were so jealous you had to settle for coffee yesterday morning," Bonnie answered, and Damon raised an eyebrow. "I… know what happened last night, Damon. I wasn't _that _drunk," she added before taking a sip and placing it on a coaster on the night table.

"So, you know you're my girlfriend, now?" he asked bluntly, and Bonnie couldn't help but smile when she watched the genuine curiosity in his eyes multiplying.

Just how had she gotten herself into this, anyway? She went from wanting to avoid him to confessing everything she had been holding in, in twelve hours flat, and she still couldn't wrap her head around it. Maybe she wasn't as good as avoiding him as she had once thought. Maybe she wasn't _meant _to avoid him, she realized, as he continued to look into her eyes, and it shook her down to her core.

She was Damon Salvatore's girlfriend, and call her crazy, but she was actually kind of okay with that.

_Oh, how things could change._

"I… know," she eased out, and before she could say another word, Damon was swallowing a mouthful of tea, and then _her lips_, as the rest of her words were immediately muffled by his tongue against hers.

He placed his cup on the night table as well—because god forbid he spilled anything on his perfect eight hundred thread count Egyptian cotton sheets—and within moments, his hands were holding her down at the shoulders, while his mouth was moving busily all along her neck.

This had been the routine—since _last night, _actually—and Bonnie honestly couldn't understand how he was _still _finding ways to make her body succumb to undeniable passion. Just when she thought he had tried every trick in the book, something _else _happened, and she was right back to square one; shivering at his touching, and moaning a few words and profanities that would have embarrassed her during any other time of the day.

Damon liked _a lot _of sex. And now that they were officially dating, there was no doubt in her mind that she would be conditioned to, as well.

_It didn't help that he was so damn tempting, to begin with, she realized._

At least he had given her five minutes, last night, to turn back on the lights in the city before they went right back to what he considered "priority number one."

As Damon's teeth made their way across her throat, Bonnie exhaled deeply, while her hands combed through his messy locks, before finally pulling him away to face her.

He smirked mischievously.

"We have a lot of sex," she stated, and Damon scoffed as his hands moved beneath his sheets, and slid along her thighs ever-so-slowly.

"People in new relationships do this," he answered, and she rolled her eyes. "Besides… it'll keep my mind off of the fact that you're Glinda the Good Witch again, and there is absolutely nothing I can do to talk you out of it," Damon added, and Bonnie let out a deep sigh before placing her hands on his cheeks and massaging them gently.

He didn't look half as bewildered as he did last night when she showed him her powers, but he also didn't look happy right now either, as the memories of what magic had done to Bonnie in the past resurfaced.

Truth be told, he was fucking petrified that history would undoubtedly repeat itself. And though Bonnie was in a good place and he was more than capable of reining her back in if she fell into the darkness like he had before, he just didn't want her to have to experience that pain once more.

He never wanted Bonnie to hurt, ever again.

Bonnie's emerald eyes blinked as she looked into his, and offered a reassuring smile.

"Damon; I'm gonna be okay," she said, as her thumbs brushed along his jawbone, and he bit his lip. "And you said that you would respect this; you would respect _my _decisions."

"I do," he answered with a short nod. "But it doesn't mean that I have to like them."

Bonnie's lips pursed together as Damon pulled away from her grasp, and sat up in bed. She continued to look up at him with observant eyes while he grabbed his mug and took another healthy sip. It wasn't very often that Damon was struck at a loss for words, so she figured this meant something, as the vampire combed his fingers through his hair before looking back at her.

Those few seconds of silence were deafening.

"I'll try to be the 'supportive boyfriend,' if that's what you want, Bonnie… but I just… I need to know _why._"

Bonnie bit her lip before finally sitting up, and leaning herself against his mahogany headboard.

This was the moment of the truth; the inevitable moment where she would have to tell Damon just what her reasoning had been for dabbling in magic again, and brave the incredulous stares from him, as nothing but his eyes would make it clear that he thought she was out of her mind.

_Yeah. She was definitely looking forward to this all morning._

Bonnie brought her blanketed knees up to her chest, and exhaled a deep breath before finding the words to say.

_It was much harder than she thought._

"Jeremy's death… wasn't an accident," she said, and Damon's eyes squinted as he remained silent to hear all that she had to say. "I… had a dream, Damon—a nightmare, actually—that night of his burial, and I haven't been able to shake it since then."

Damon ran his tongue over his teeth and furrowed his brows.

"You… became a witch again because of a _nightmare, _Bonnie?"

"It wasn't that simple," she reasoned, and Damon went quiet again. "I—I _saw _him, Damon. And it felt real—_so real —_and he told me the truth… He said that this wasn't an accident. And I know that it's foolish to just trust some weird vision that I had when I was mourning his death and really upset but… when have my visions ever been wrong?" she asked.

Damon couldn't argue that.

A witch's premonition was even stronger than of a woman's, and Bonnie's had never failed her. She saw things and experienced moments for no other reason than being _meant _to do something about it. And when it came to Jeremy, Damon knew just how much Bonnie had loved him, and done all for him.

He couldn't possibly expect her to just let this go, and pretend the whole thing never happened. She wouldn't, he realized, and even if this whole magic thing pissed him off beyond belief, he respected it.

He respected _her _for always having the strength and the courage to do what was right.

Damon finished off the tea in his mug in record time, and Bonnie pressed her lips together when he took her free hand into his own and they locked fingers. His smooth skin against hers felt unbelievably calming, if she were honest, and it didn't help that his voice softened too, the next time he spoke to her.

"So, what are we gonna do about this?" he asked gently, as he looked into her gaze. "Because you know there's no way in _hell _I am letting you go at this alone, right?"

Bonnie swallowed hard, but she nodded at his words in response.

"I know," she admitted. "And I… sort of have a plan. I just need to summon Jeremy's spirit; talk to him, again, and maybe get some answers. I'm almost strong enough to do it. I just need to do a few more big spells to able to harness enough power."

"Kind of like that whole 'bringing down the stars' thingy you did last night, to confess your undying affection for me?" Damon asked, and Bonnie let out a short laugh as she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah. Something like that."

Damon nodded as the silence passed between them.

"You know… whatever you need, Witchy, I'll do. If you're going to be getting into some bonehead plan, I feel as though it's only right that I get into it with you… Though I must say, your track record when it comes to getting shit done is probably as flawless as mine, so—"

Bonnie picked up a pillow to swing at his head, but the vampire caught it quickly, and she let out a squeal as he consequently held her at the sides, and nuzzled his lips against her shoulder.

Bonnie finally stopped laughing when Damon looked down into her eyes, and she smiled purely as he brushed back a strand of her hair and simply gazed at her.

It was the most captivating thing she had experienced in quite some time, and she had to resist the urge to scream with horror when she realized just how much of a sap that made her.

All he had to do was _look _at her, and she was floored. How did that even happen?

"So, how long do we have before you've got that spa date with Laila?" he asked curiously, and Bonnie grinned as she looked into his eyes in disbelief.

"You _actually _remembered me telling you that?"

"The hell I did. Laila won't hesitate to castrate me if I make you late," he said, and Bonnie giggled appropriately. "That girl is scary sometimes."

"Said the vampire," Bonnie replied, and he hissed at that. "But to answer your question… I have about an hour before she's expecting me. And you have—"

"Until whenever the hell I want, because I am my own boss," he reminded, and Bonnie smiled at that. "This 'time' thing seems to be working out in our favor, today, Miss Bennett."

Bonnie pushed him onto his back, and Damon growled with approval the minute she slid on top of him, and ran her finger nails across his naked chest. His face was already glowing with passion the minute he'd seen her walk in this morning. It didn't take much to multiply that feeling by a _thousand _when she was sitting on him like this.

Bonnie leaned down and kissed his lips fervently, while his hands made their way up her back, and fiddled with the hook of the bra. His first thought was to just tear through it like the animal that he was, but something about how delicate she looked in this moment made him want to take it slower than usual.

_Time restrictions, be damned._

He slid down the straps of the navy blue top, and she pulled him in by his broad shoulders to meet her, as his lips pushed along her own, until breaking away and making the journey across her cheek bones.

_Laila would not be amused his antics, at all._

"How long do we have before we can't use the 'new relationship' excuse, anymore?" Bonnie asked, as her legs tightened around his torso, and his lips separated from her skin.

"Six months, give or take," he replied, and Bonnie sighed breathlessly when his fingers dug against her thighs, and definitely left a few bruises that she was sure she would be feeling later.

She'd give him a few of his own, just for payback.

"_I'll keep that in mind," _Bonnie breathed, and Damon smirked when the little witch pushed him onto his back again, and attacked him at the lips, again.

He sighed happily as he felt her pulling the sheets over their heads, and it was in that moment he knew Bonnie Bennett was going to act as if the clock ticking steadily across the room was nothing but a lazy prop, and didn't exist anymore to either one of them, at all.

XXXXX

"So, I know that I thanked you like _five _times for bringing me home, but seriously—thank you. _Again,_" Caroline said, as she fastened her pink robe over her body, and tucked a loose strand of her golden waves behind her ear. "I really appreciate it."

She was instantly brought back to the night before that had gone quite _terribly _in her opinion, until her surprising Knight in Shining Armor had swooped in to save her.

She marched back into that club, prepared to tell Stefan off, and to so ready to fight for what she believed should have been hers, just like Laila told her to, but she was stopped in her tracks when she realized that he was gone.

Stefan and Elena were nowhere to be seen, and right along with Caroline's luck, Laila had disappeared, as well, texting her briefly to inform her that she had found a distraction for the night.

So there she was; in the middle of this club, alone, as the drunken party goers danced sloppily all over the place and she felt her own annoyance rising the longer she watched it.

She realized that regaining your soberness around a bunch of people who were extremely intoxicated was a troubling experience, because it made you want to hit _everyone._

And to add insult to injury?

The lights went out, five minutes later, and everyone was forced to evacuate the club, as New York experienced its first blackout of the summer.

How convenient.

_Caroline stomped out of the club, heels in hand, and muttered more than a few curses beneath her breath as she attempted to hail a taxi. She soon figured that idea was probably shot, considering none of the traffic lights were working, and now there were cops at each intersection trying to direct the mess, as the honking and yelling crept up to an all-time high._

_Gotta love New York, she thought, because it was time for plan b: vamp speed._

_She'd have to make sure she was out of the aim of public eye, but she considered that couldn't be too hard, considering how many alley ways existed in Manhattan. All she'd have to do was duck into one, and voila: she'd be home in no time._

_Caroline made her move to cross the street, and she was suddenly grasped back by someone who undoubtedly just prevented her from getting hit by a car, as she fell back into their arms, while a Maserati whizzed by at 65 mph._

_She breathed in relief._

_Sure she was a vampire and getting hit by a car wouldn't kill her, but she would definitely have no explanation for the ambulance or hospital when she magically regenerated new skin, and healed herself of her injuries within record time. She would be screwed, if it weren't for whoever the hell it was that just saved her, and she owed them big time, she realized._

_Caroline whipped around to thank her unlikely savior, and her brows furrowed when his deep eyes met hers._

"Thank you for… allowing me to stay the night," he said in response, as he stood in her doorway. "Your hospitality has been… _overwhelming._"

Caroline's cheeks flushed at that, as he took her hand into his own, and kissed it softly.

_She instantly remembered what those lips felt like all over her skin last night when she so easily invited him into her and Stefan's apartment and proceeded to thank him in more ways than one._

She passed out before any actual sex happened, but she'd definitely done enough, considering the fact that she didn't even know this guy, but she had him moaning her name six ways to Sunday.

It wasn't like he was a _complete _stranger, she reasoned, as he helped her untie her dress, and she helped him remove his tie. She had seen him before, and she even knew his name, thanks to the fact that he had made himself known earlier last night while they were out.

But she was pretty sure this was yet another one of her stupid decisions, and she would pay for it dearly if she was found out.

Which was why he needed to leave now; just in case her lovely roommate Stefan decided to ever show his face again.

She'd only hooked up with Chase because she was pissed off at him, but when she sobered in the morning, she realized that she was completely against rubbing it in his face.

Stefan would be extremely hurt that she'd let some random guy stay the night, and even more so that she'd fondled him like she was some horny teenager at a basement party.

Even in her reckless and spiteful nature, she didn't want to completely ruin all that they had between them. She considered Chase a one and done, and if she told Stefan about it, she'd be sure to be clear about that.

None of this meant anything to her.

Caroline prepared herself to say goodbye, but instead, her lips were stopped when he pressed his own to hers, and engulfed into a long kiss that made her weak at the knees and tremble at the bones.

His soft mouth continued to work against hers, and she eagerly gave in, as her arms made their way around his shoulders and he quickly pushed her against her wall.

Caroline sighed as his lips kissed all over her neck, again, and she shut her eyes in pure bliss when they landed on her ear, and spoke to her softly.

"Will I see you again, sweetheart?"

She nodded in reluctant confirmation, and she felt him smiled against her porcelain skin before separating his mouth and looking into her eyes. He brushed his fingers through her wavy hair, and she bit her lip when she remembered just how _handsome _he was.

She should have realized that just because she didn't plan on seeing him again didn't mean he was going to adhere to those designations.

Especially because he now knew where she lived as well.

"You have my number, Chase. And I assume you know how to use a telephone, so…" Caroline trailed off, and he smiled heartily before kissing her once more. "You know how to reach me."

"Indeed, I do."

His hands finally dropped from hers, and he made his way back over towards the door, as Caroline did her best to hide the glowing smile behind her cheeks, and he stopped as she continued to stare at him again.

Chase smirked.

"How about we gather your friends and do something fun tomorrow night?" he asked softly, and Caroline thought for a second before shaking her head.

"I'm a dork, and I think I made plans to Skype with my mom—"

"Cancel them," he said firmly, and Caroline's eyes immediately focused on his. "Cancel your plans with Sheriff Forbes, and see me instead."

Caroline nodded mindlessly as she continued to stare into his eyes, and a slow smile appeared onto her lips.

"I'd love to," she agreed and Chase gleamed as she continued to follow his eyes.

"Very well then," he answered, as Caroline remained completely still. "Invite all of your little friends to whatever it is you want to do, but be sure to do me _one _favor."

"Anything you want," she said, in a hypnotized tone, and Chase bit his lip.

"Make sure Bonnie is there," he said firmly. "I need to see her, and it will be most opportune if you organize something. You were always quite good at that," he reminded, and Caroline smiled dumbly. "See you then, love."

"Okay," Caroline said lightly, and she watched as Chase left the apartment quickly; leaving her a bit confused and flustered once she snapped back into her thoughts shut the door behind him.

She had no idea why, or how, but the only thing she had at the moment was the overwhelming urge to get Bonnie to Chase, by any means necessary.

She couldn't be bothered to know why this felt as though it was her only life purpose.

XXXX

"If you're okay now, I'm gonna… go," Stefan said, as he looked up from his cell phone, and slid it into his pocket. "I just… should probably get home. See how Caroline's doing, you know?"

Elena nodded in return as they both rose to their feet, and she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her pajama pants. She breathed in a deep sigh when Stefan's eyes didn't even bother to cast a gaze on hers before he made his way to the door, and out his hand on the knob.

_This was all so incredibly awkward._

Stefan had carried her home last night, apparently, and when she had finally awaken from her drunken stupor, he was sleeping on her couch, still dressed in his clothes from the evening before.

She knew that nothing had happened between them—because Stefan just wasn't that type of guy—but it didn't make her feel any less weird about this situation, anyway.

From what she had recalled, she openly admitted her feelings to Bonnie, Caroline, and Laila when it came to Stefan, as she vowed to do whatever possible to get him back into her life. She knew, deep down, that she should have just let this go; that she should have just left him alone, because Stefan deserved more than this—but she couldn't bear to follow logic while her heart was screaming so loudly to be heard.

She'd been the one to break up with him because she just couldn't do the supernatural life anymore, and she'd realized it was the biggest mistake of her existence not too long after that.

She was miserable without Stefan, as she pretended that things were all that she wanted with Matt, and wasted not only her time, but his own, selfishly forging s relationship that she knew could never last as long as she was in love with somebody else.

She may have had strong feelings for Matt—she always would—but they were nothing compared to the things she felt for Stefan. And seeing him after Jeremy's death reminded her of just that; Stefan's presence was the only thing to calm her—to ease her pain—as he took her into his arms, and whispered truthful things about Jeremy being in a better place into her ear, before she tossed roses at his grave.

Stefan's beautiful green eyes were the only thing to soothe her when she felt like shattering into a million pieces each and every time someone asked her if she was making out okay.

Stefan's smile was the only thing that relieved her each and every time that she lied when she said she would be fine, because he made her believe it; he made her believe that things would be okay, one day.

So it went without saying that she wanted this feeling to last forever; hence the reason why she moved to New York.

She absolutely wanted to fix her bond with Bonnie, Caroline, and even Damon, but most importantly, she wanted him back; she _needed _him, in fact. And though it made her feel pathetically desperate smiling at him the way that she did, and lighting up at the cheeks each time she saw him, she would not stop herself.

She was in love with Stefan Salvatore, and she'd come all the way here to prove it.

_Talk about determination._

Elena watched as Stefan began to twist the knob, and she blinked quietly as she tried to figure out the words to say.

She'd said "thank you," enough times to last her until forever, but there was still something else she was dying to get out before he made his great escape.

There was still so much more to say.

"I'm sorry," she settled with, and Stefan turned around to face her plainly. "I am… really sorry, Stefan."

The vampire shifted at his feet uncomfortably before shrugging his shoulders and stuffing his hands into his pockets. He remained unphased.

"It's no problem, Elena… I brought you home because we're friends," he stated, and she moved in a bit closer at that, causing him to immediately shut his lips.

He knew what else was coming.

"I… wasn't apologizing because of that," she said, and his eyes narrowed. "I mean—I am _really sorry _about being such a drunken mess, but I—I'm sorry because… I hurt you."

Stefan took in a deep breath, and his eyes seemed to be filling with dismay, though he mostly hid it well. Elena stepped in closer, and Stefan held up both hands to stop her.

She halted in her tracks.

"I—I don't want you to apologize to me, Elena," he said firmly, and her brows scrunched, as he struggled to speak strongly. "You were right, about me… causing nothing but problems in your life… And you absolutely had a reason to give up on me. You don't belong in the world of the supernatural—" he started, only to be interrupted by her voice.

"But I belong with you," she said clearly, and she watched as all of the color flushed from his skin. "I… belong with _you, _Stefan, and it wasn't until I was without you that I realized it—that I realized that I can't _live _without you… I—I can't even _breathe._"

Stefan took in a deep breath as he watched the brunette with the olive skin making her way towards him, and he shook his head again as he backed up. Elena frowned at his reaction.

"You don't know what you're saying," Stefan replied, and she pursed her lips. "I've changed, Elena… and so have you. It'll never work again," he said simply before crossing his arms over his chest. "I—I've finally learned what it's like to live _without you _and you can't just go changing that."

Stefan watched as Elena held back the tears that threatened her eyes, but didn't roll down her cheeks. Elena's tears had always been his kryptonite, and he was extremely thankful that she at least had the decency to control them right now, as her words did nothing less than suffocate him.

Elena exhaled a deep breath.

"I know that I've done wrong, Stefan; I have. And I know that we're both different, but how I feel about you? That's something that's _never _going to change," she revealed. "Please tell me that you understand that."

Stefan remained still, but reluctantly nodded his head at that.

He'd known it all along; he knew that Elena loved him, and despite what she had said during their break-up, it would never change. And he knew that he loved her, no matter what he wanted to believe, and it was something he expected to live with for the rest of his life.

But what was he to do, now, that he also had feelings for Caroline? Very strong ones that threatened to unearth the foundation that he and Elena's love had stood on for so very long?

What he felt for Caroline was something he'd never quite experienced in all his life. Sure, Elena knew him well, but Caroline knew him _better. _She was his best friend—his soul mater, practically—and whether he was willing to act on it or not, there were feelings that that confused, shook, and unraveled him much more than he had ever known all his life.

Elena meant everything to him, but was it possible that Caroline meant even more than that?

He'd tried to call her last night to let her know that he was taking a stumbling Elena home, but with the blackout, he'd gotten nothing but her voicemail ten times in a row. And even after that? Her phone rung with no answer until he finally gave up.

Caroline was pissed off, understandably, by his reaction to Elena, and that made his life all the more difficult.

If he were still acting this way towards Elena; so protective and so caring, didn't Caroline deserve better than that anyway? He would never want her to be in a relationship with him if his mind was still settled on somebody else, and that's what was happening exactly.

He wanted Caroline, but he couldn't let go of Elena at all.

And honestly? He had no fucking clue what to do about it.

Stefan snapped out of his thoughts once he realized Elena was standing right in front of him, and he breathed when she placed her hand to his cheek, and brushed it softly.

Everything inside of him burned with just one motion.

"I just want to start over," she said, nearly inaudible, and he bit his lip. "It doesn't matter what you've done or what has gone on while I haven't been here… I just… I only care about one thing right now, Stefan, and that's _you. _I care about _you._"

Stefan swallowed hard as her fingers trickled down to his neck, and she moved in even closer. His stomach was nearly in knots just because of how _close _she was, and with each breath, he could hear the familiar sound of her blood pumping throughout her veins.

He'd tasted that blood before; it gave him life, many times, when he was on the verge of losing it all, and Elena gilbert reached in and saved him.

She'd _saved him, _many more times than he gave her credit for, and here was his chance to do the same—to save her from heartbreak if he so chose to let her into his life again.

"I love you, Stefan," Elena confessed softly, as her nails grazed against his skin, and his back pressed to the door. "You promised you would hold onto that."

Stefan captured her hand into his own, and she followed his eyes as they pierced through her own, and closed softly as he relived her words.

His hands were now at her waist, as he drew her in gently, and Elena held her breath when the distance closed between them accordingly.

It was taking everything within him not to kiss her right now, and he was struggling; as the smell of her skin filled his senses, and the sound of her exhale drove him absolutely wild.

_Why was he such a slave to this, he wondered, as his fingers steadily crawled beneath the bottom of her shirt, and rested on her toned stomach?_

Why did he care at all? He should have forgotten all about Elena the minute she'd made her life with Matt, and left him all alone to drown within his misery.

It was as if he'd known—he believed—that she would come back for him, and she did, in the end, much to his desire. Elena never fully let him go, just like he hadn't disowned her from his thoughts, and he knew that there was a reason for this.

And maybe she was here, despite it all, because he was destined to find out.

_He was destined to figure this all out, once and for all._

Stefan reopened his eyes, and Elena's chestnut ones were staring into his with heavy anticipation—genuine curiosity—as to what he would do next, now that he knew where she stood.

His hands floated down towards her hips, and every goose bump on her body rose as she continued to be captured by his stare.

_It was truly now or never._

Stefan leaned in and pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth.

He couldn't allow himself to go any further; especially not with the way his mind was unraveling, and he smoothly dropped his hands, as he let her skin go, and Elena sighed in disenchantment.

_He just couldn't do it. Not like this._

"I'm sorry too," Stefan finally said, and Elena's brows furrowed. "I'm… sorry that I… have feelings for Caroline, and it is the only thing keeping me together right now."

A look of shock crossed Elena's face as Stefan turned around and finally opened the door.

Without another word, he made his way out and down the hall, before she could say a thing or he could react to it.

His feelings for Caroline, right now, were much stronger than anything he could have still wanted with Elena, and right now, he was going to tell her that.

_He probably wasn't going to be too thrilled, then, once he found out about Chase._

XXXXX

"Blondie has enough friends to organize a dinner party? Color me shocked," Damon said, and Bonnie punched his arm lightly, to which he let out a soft howl.

"Be nice," she said beneath her breath, as she knocked on the apartment door. "She probably has more friends than you do, anyway."

"I don't need friends when I've got somebody like _you _in my bed," he reminded, and Bonnie sneered. "Which reminds me… you promised that if I went to this and behaved myself that you'd—"

"I remember what I promised," Bonnie cut in, and Damon smirked deviously. "Don't push your luck."

"Duly noted," he winked, and Bonnie let out an exasperated sigh as she tugged at her dress.

Caroline had randomly decided to throw a dinner party at her and Stefan's apartment to commemorate their "move in," though it had happened about two months ago. Bonnie easily agreed to attend, though Damon was much harder to convince, because he'd clued Bonnie in to the fact that they had "better" things to attend to that included hot massage oil, and his everlasting libido.

She nearly smacked him for that one.

When the door opened, Bonnie smiled appropriately, and Damon did as well, as Caroline gleamed brightly at the two before throwing her arms around the girl tightly.

"Oh my god, I'm so happy you could make it," she said enthusiastically, and Damon snorted as he held up a bottle of wine, and cocked his head.

"I wouldn't miss the chance to drink this for the world."

Caroline and Bonnie both rolled their eyes at him, before the blonde captured her hands and gazed at her happily.

There was something even peppier about Caroline's attitude, and Bonnie just couldn't figure out what it was, until the girl easily revealed just what had been making her so happy.

"Don't get mad, but I have a secret to tell you," she said, as she led her into the apartment, and Bonnie shook her head in confusion as she gazed at her.

"What is it? I promise not to get mad—" she stopped when she looked before her and saw the familiar eyes and blonde hair of someone she was getting to know all too well staring at her from across the room in such a devoted way, her heart almost stopped.

_What the hell?_

"You invited Chase?" Bonnie whispered, and Caroline cheesed happily as her blue eyes stared into Bonnie's so strongly, she almost felt whiplashed by them.

"Don't be silly, Bonnie. This entire thing—it was his idea," Caroline smirked. "_Bon appetit." _

**A/N: Hello, all! So I was able to squeeze in another chapter and I hope you don't mind reading from me again so soon! You have all been awesome so I decided not to make you wait for this one. ;) The plot is finally picking up now, and I have been reading your reviews as to just what you guys think is going on. I love your theories, so keep it up! What did you think this time around, and what do you think happens next? As always, THANK YOU for reading, and until next time! xoxox**


	13. Give Me Love

**Give Me Love**

"I'm…. lost. How do you know him, again?" Bonnie asked, as she carefully peeled her eyes away from the blonde man staring at her from across the room, and slowly glanced back at Caroline who was still smiling happily.

Not that it was any of her business just what the hell Caroline was doing with Chase, but Bonnie couldn't help but be ridiculously curious as to how the two even came about. And the fact that Caroline had cited this party as _his _idea, too? Something just didn't make sense. And Bonnie couldn't pinpoint why.

There were about ten people here, and Bonnie couldn't even begin to wonder just who they all were. She recognized one or two from the bar, but that was it. This was literally the most random dinner party she had ever been to in her life.

And she had only been here for two minutes.

Caroline gleamed happily as she stared at her curious friend, and shrugged her shoulders in indifference.

"Well, considering the fact that I literally almost got hit by a car that night _you _disappeared from the club with Damon, Chase was so kind to actually 'save' my life… I figured it was only right to repay him," Caroline smirked, and Bonnie shook her head as she lowered her voice.

"You didn't sleep with him, did you?"

Caroline laughed innocently, before flipping her hair and offering an elegant brow.

"No… Not _yet,_ anyway," she answered, and Bonnie sighed with relief at that. "But why does it matter, anyway? I'm single. It's not like I'm doing anything wrong."

Bonnie bit her lip and furrowed her brows.

"And what about Stefan? What does he think about this?" she asked, in a near inaudible tone, and Caroline scoffed.

"I don't care what he thinks. He stayed with _Elena _that night, and after I told him about meeting Chase, he hasn't really said much to me. So—"Caroline's words were interrupted, as she let out a strong giggle when the man in question suddenly came up behind her, and placed both hands on her waist.

"Babe, stop," Caroline laughed and Bonnie shook her head to make sure she heard that right.

_Babe?_

Bonnie stood there stoically, as Chase squeezed Caroline's sides and she suddenly felt uncomfortable while she watched the two fawning over each other like a pair of teenagers.

Bonnie's arms slid over chest, as Chase's attention finally moved away from Caroline and he flashed her a charming smile, as Caroline announced that she was going to check the steak in the oven.

Bonnie shifted on her feet before sending him an uneasy smile, in return.

"Bonnie, how are you?" Chase asked, as he leaned in towards her.

"I'm… fine. Funny seeing you here."

Bonnie opened her arms for a quick hug, but the man swiftly caught the nape of her neck with his lips, and planted a gentle kiss against her skin. Bonnie almost jumped in fright as just how quickly the heat of her body rose, and she backed away politely the instant her thoughts began to go awry.

_What the hell was that about?_

"My apologies, I've had a few to drink," Chase smirked, and Bonnie cleared her throat as he continued to stare at her in that consuming way he had been since she walked through the door.

Bonnie clapped her hands together and looked around for Damon; only to see him chatting by the door with Stefan in a highly engrossed manner.

_No help there._

She was literally on her own, for now.

She sighed as she snapped out of her thoughts, and her eyes finally transfixed on Chase's again, as his blue orbs seemed to glow when they met hers. There was just something; something about him, that she couldn't quite determine, and it frustrated her, the longer the two stood here staring at one another.

Bonnie had never been someone to ignore her intuition, and around him, it was _blaring. _She couldn't decide if it were a good thing or not, because surely, she had never seen this man before moving to New York.

_But what was it about him that unraveled her, so much?_

She really wished she could figure it out.

"What's the matter, sweetheart? You're staring at me like you've seen a ghost," Chase said, and Bonnie laughed lightly before she knocked her vicious thoughts out of her head.

"No, I'm just… surprised you'd be here. I didn't know you knew Caroline," she said, and Chase grinned at that.

"I didn't," he confessed, "The other night was my first time meeting her. She's an interesting one, that girl."

"You've got that right," Bonnie almost mumbled, before looking back into his eyes. "She told me the story about you 'saving' her, or something," she added, and he nodded. "Thanks for that."

"It was my pleasure," Chase said, as he moved in a bit more, and Bonnie gulped when the air between them became much thicker. "It's funny how fate works out, sometimes, isn't it?"

Before Bonnie could respond, Damon was beside her, and she breathed a strange sense of relief when he took her hand into his own, and tightened his fingers around hers.

_And she was okay. Suddenly, it was all okay._

"Everything good here?" Damon asked bluntly, as he glanced at the stranger before him, decidedly not bothering to offer him a hand to shake, before turning his eyes to Bonnie, who quickly offered him a smile.

"Yeah, everything's fine, Damon," she nodded, gently gesturing towards the man before and clearing her throat. "This is Chase… Caroline's… _date_," she said appropriately, as Damon continued to glare him like a hawk. "The dinner party was his idea."

"Interesting," Damon said sharply, before his icy blue eyes shot before him, and he offered a lopsided smile. "So, _you're _the reason I'm stuck in this goddamn apartment with Caroline's stuffy socialite friends, instead of in the confines of my own bed, with my lovely girlfriend, here," he said.

Bonnie sucked in a deep breath before discreetly jabbing him in the ribs with her elbow, to which Damon let out a soft grunt.

Chase chuckled.

"Ah, and you must be Damon… Bonnie's volatile beau that Caroline told me all about," Chase said, and Damon sent him a faux smile. "She told me you have quite the temper."

"Temper's an understatement," Damon winked. "I distinctly remembering ripping up your number once, after Laila left it on our coffee table… That's not the only thing I can _rip _apart, though," Damon challenged, and he felt Bonnie gripping his hand tighter, as to issue a firm and final warning.

He turned to look into her eyes, and a stern look masked her face immediately.

She wasn't about to put up with his childish little grudge against some guy who innocently hit on her once or twice, and if he didn't want her foot up his ass, he'd better take his thinly veiled aggression down a notch.

Her face was literally worth a thousand words.

"Excuse us, Chase," Bonnie said as she forced a smile, and yanked Damon away by the hand, and down the hallway of Stefan and Caroline's apartment.

They didn't stop walking until they found themselves in Stefan's bedroom, where she roughly pushed him inside, and locked the door behind them.

Damon exhaled before plopping down onto the California king bed, before looking up at Bonnie, who had tightly crossed her arms over her chest, while she tapped her foot impatiently.

_Uh-oh._

"What?" he asked, all too naively, and Bonnie scoffed as she threw her hands up in the air and penetrated his eyes with her olive stones.

"What the _hell _was that with Chase? Why were you so _rude _to him?" she asked, and Damon rolled his eyes as he fiddled with his tie, and offered a lazy smirk.

"I don't like blondes," he offered lamely, and Bonnie rolled her eyes. "And he was a douche bag. There's only room for one at this party," he added, and she shook her head.

"He's dating Caroline, Damon. So as much as you may hate him for no good reason, show a little respect. Please. I know you're not _used _to that and all, but at least try, okay?"

Damon tightened his grip on Stefan's bed, and ticked his jaw.

He didn't like Chase; a blind person could have seen that. And he may not have had a concrete reason why he disliked him, but he did anyway, and Damon was a champion when it came to going with his gut feeling.

Not only had Stefan briefed him on the fact that he was apparently Caroline's new main squeeze, _and _this guy had already tried his hand at getting with Bonnie, something just _didn't _feel right about him, as far as Damon was concerned, and he was determined to get to uncover the dirt on this mysterious little Abercrombie and _Bitch _fella, if it was the last thing he did_._

He may not have had any business meddling in Caroline's love life, considering the fact that he treated her like no more than trash in his day, but he'd since resolved things with her and became like a pseudo-big brother, of sorts, the closer she got to Stefan, when the three remained in Mystic Falls.

It took one big ass apology, a heartfelt conversation, and Damon's AMEX Black Card, but he'd done it, and now, he didn't want anyone messing with the bubbly blonde the way he had so wrongfully done in the past. Caroline was important to Damon, now, and if Chase had anything scarring planned up his sleeve, the vampire was fit to knock him out, six ways to Sunday if he hurt her in anyway.

Not to mention, his brother; Stefan had strong feelings for Caroline, whether he was pissed off at her right now, or not, and as much as he as protecting Caroline's honor, he needed to step in for Stefan, as well.

Chase wasn't going to last very long around here, if he had anything to do with it.

_Which he absolutely would._

"W do you care so much? You're so fascinated with this guy like he's _the Ring, _and you're _Frodo Baggins,_" Damon said, and Bonnie scoffed.

"Seriously? Don't use my love for epic fantasy novels against me," she said sourly, and Damon grinned. "It'll get you nowhere."

"You sure?" he asked, as he looked up into her forest green eyes, and cocked his head. "Because I think you have a little bit of a _crush _on Senor _Asshole._"

Bonnie's jaw dropped and she shook her head.

"You're kidding, right? Or are you drunk? You've been drinking haven't you?" she accused, and he sighed in annoyance. "I don't 'like' Chase, Damon. I like _you._"

Damon offered a bitter smile before rising to his feet, and licking his tongue across his teeth.

"Trust me; _I know._"

Bonnie remained still as he made his way past her and over towards the door before she finally spun around to face him, with her hands planted firmly at her hips.

"What the hell does that mean?" Bonnie asked boldly, just as Damon's hand landed on Stefan's door knob, and he let out a quick breath before he turned to look into her curious eyes.

"Exactly what it sounds like, Bonnie. You 'like' me. It's _fantastic._"

"It's obviously not enough, if you're acting like this," she shot back, as he inhaled deeply. "Seriously, what's up? Or what's wrong? Are you going to tell me?" Bonnie asked as she moved in closer towards him.

His explosive blue eyes seemed to be simmering just beneath the surface, as he stared at her scornfully, before raising his hand to stop her in her tracks.

Bonnie's brow rose.

"Damon—"

"Do you… remember the first time we were _together_?" he asked suddenly, and Bonnie inhaled a deep breath that sat in the pit of her stomach, until she let it out, again.

_How could she forget?_

It had been one of those classic "he-couldn't-do-this-anymore" moments, as Bonnie watched him, teary-eyed, while he packed his suitcases to leave Mystic Falls.

It had all come about because of what she'd said the night before; about it being the "last time" they could do "this;" i.e.—she had let him down, roughly.

Bonnie winced when she remembered how it felt—the pain in her heart—as she recalled ripping him through his drawers and closets, in an effort to take all that he could and get the hell out of that town.

Bonnie had completely and totally shredded him to pieces by allowing him to be infiltrated by her, only to shut him down accordingly, because she didn't want to lose him as a friend, if things went south.

But he couldn't process that. She couldn't believe that she had even asked him to.

"_Damon," Bonnie said gently, but it was as though he didn't hear her at all, as the vampire continued to busily pack his things, and Bonnie sighed. "Damon, stop."_

"_Why?" he asked shortly, as he tossed black tees and black jeans into his suit case, never meeting her eyes. "You said we can't do this, Bonnie; we can't get involved because you don't want 'lose a friend;' but what about if you lose me altogether? It's not like you need me anymore, anyway. You're healed," he said._

_Bonnie fidgeted with her fingers as she stood in Damon's doorway, nervously chewing at the skin of her lip as she observed moving like a ray of light in the gallery-sized room, with such ease._

_He was even graceful when he was totally pissed off. She was enamored by that._

"_I can't lose you, Damon," she said softly as the raven haired main zipped the suitcase closed, and flipped open another. "I—I wanted to be friends, because I _can't_ lose you—"_

"_And why would you lose me?" he nearly yelled, as he spun around to face her, and his electric blue eyes seemed to paralyze her. "I've been here for you, Bonnie—sticking around this fucking place for _you. _My brother, Elena, everyone else—they're not the reasons why I'm here and you _know _that. You _know, _Bonnie, that you—"he stopped, and she watched the rage subsiding in his eyes, and the pain beginning to take over. _

_It nearly tore her apart to see him like this; it damn near crippled her, she realized, as Damon mindlessly dropped the article of clothing in his hand to his floor and raised both hands to his face._

_He slowly brushed back his hair, and swallowed hard. Bonnie's heart was pounding, and she was sure he could hear it, as he shut his eyes silently, and leaned both hands against his dresser. _

_Bonnie tentatively took a step into his bedroom, as her feet creaked beneath the wooden floors, and she tucked a wild strand behind her ear, as she slowly found herself moving towards him._

_An eerie silence enveloped the room once her feet stopped and she stood behind him, in quiet anticipation._

_She couldn't lose him._

_Damon had been her saving grace, and though she never wanted to admit it, she liked being around him. He made her feel whole again, as he engaged her in conversations about anything and everything—things that didn't make her feel like she was just some basket case that everyone else was choosing to tip-toe around. Damon had become her confidant; her strength, even, as he was the one who pressured her to apply for college, to test the waters—to find out what she wanted to do with her life._

_Damon made her feel whole again, as she faintly remembered the gaping hole she felt in her heart when Elena dismissed their friendship, Stefan avoided her, and Caroline, Tyler, Matt, and even Jeremy eyed her like she was ticking time bomb, ready to explode._

_Damon made her forget what it was to feel so empty and alone. Damon made her feel life; Damon made her feel like home._

_And now, he was leaving her; because she couldn't risk messing that up, like she always did, and she couldn't have been anymore devastated._

_Had she been wrong to kiss him back, in the first place? Had she been wrong to let this go on for as long as it did, as the two spent hours in his bed each night, tossing, turning, feeling, and touching, as they tried to keep their physical relationship a purely innocent one?_

_Bonnie wasn't innocent; she hadn't been, since Klaus was in her life, but being with Damon almost made her feel like she could start over; like it wasn't too late to be brand new._

_Was it now, perhaps, too late to make him stay?_

_Bonnie touched Damon's shoulder, and he squirmed away from her touch immediately. Her heart sunk._

"_Don't, Witchy," he said gruffly, as he shook his head. "I don't need your sympathy."_

"_Then what do you need, Damon?" she asked, already knowing the answer. "What do you want from me? What—"_

"_You!" he nearly shouted, as he finally looked her dead in the face, and her throat tightened. "I don't have anybody else Bonnie, but _you. _And you have me—"_

"_So you understand, right? Why it's _so hard _for me to just be with you, Damon?" she interrupted, as tears filled her eyes with each blink. "It's not that I don't want to, but I can't. I _can't _do this because what if I lose the only thing that I have left?"_

"_Isn't it worth the chance?" he challenged accordingly, as tears dripped down her face. "Am I not worth that shot?"_

_Bonnie stood dazedly as he eyes continued to fill with water, and Damon scoffed when she didn't offer a response, as he walked past that her._

"_And that's what I thought; that's _exactly _why I'm leaving," he said, as he shoved a few more things into his second bag, before finally zipping it closed, and dragging both cases off of his bed, and rolling them out of his room, behind him._

_Bonnie stood there stoically, as she listened to the sounds of the suitcases rolling down the hallway, and then down the steps, as she heard Damon clearly toss them down the flight, with no regard at all._

_Her fingers were shaking, but her body was frozen, as tears now streamed her cheeks, and her skin began to feel frigid._

_Just what the hell was she doing, exactly?_

_She was, quite literally, letting her last chance at normalcy walk out on her, just like that, and she wasn't doing a goddamn thing about it, as she was standing here, like she was in a state of shock._

_She cared about Damon—far too much—and the last thing she'd be able to live with was the fact that she let him walk out on her like this._

_No. She couldn't live with that; not even if she tried._

_Bonnie soon felt her feet hit flight, as she sprinted out of Damon's bedroom, down the steps, and out the front door of the Boarding House. She breathed in sharply when an ice cold drop of water landed square on her forehead, and she looked up to see the evening clouds rolling in, as the rain above them pattered down on the pavement of the driveway like any typical Virginia storm would._

_Damon was just shutting the trunk of his Camaro, as she walked out, and she shivered as she watched him slick back his dark hair, and wipe the descending water out of his eyes, before heading for the driver's side door, where he would get in, and vanish from her life forever._

_She couldn't let him go this way._

_Bonnie tried to speak, but no words came out, as she felt her sweater now sticking to her skin, and her brown hair matting to her neck. It didn't take much of the rain to make her look like a full-fledged mess, but she didn't care at this point._

_She was going to do what she needed to do, and God-willingly, Damon would listen, and change his mind about going away, once and for all._

_Impaired speech and all, Bonnie whizzed over, and grabbed him by the arm tightly; pulling him in quickly to face her, and the chaos that she was._

_Damon's chest bumped into hers, but he was trying his best to evade her eyes, as he looked to the ground, or even behind her; anything to mask the hurt in his eyes._

_Bonnie sniffed diffidently, though it was entirely a waste, as the rain continued to cover her face, while expertly masking her tears that were still running from her red-rimmed eyes._

_She brought her cold hands to the cheeks of the man towering beyond her and gulped hard._

_Damon did little to inch away._

"_I love you," Bonnie stated, and his eyes quickly darted to meet hers, now in complete incomprehension as the words of her confession cut through him like a steak knife hewing something as delicate as butter._

_Bonnie's hands gripped his face even tighter, as her fingers slid against his skin, but she pulled him in anyway, for a deep kiss. His lips scorched when they met hers, and he nearly lost his footing, as he felt himself falling into her as Bonnie continued to kiss him profusely, until finally, he was doing nothing but kissing her back._

"_I love you, so much," she whispered against his lips, and Damon gripped onto her sides even harder, as the slickness of her mouth glided against his, and he felt his black t-shirt damn near molding to his muscle._

_It was merely seconds before her legs were wrapped around his waist, and he had her pressed against his the window of his Camaro. The heat between nearly made her forget just how fucking cold it was right now; especially with her back carving against wet metal, and her skin absorbing each and every freezing droplet that fell from the sky._

_Damon must have noticed, as he effortlessly pulled his car door open, helped her inside, and crawled in behind her to the back seat, where Bonnie was already peeling off her sopping wet top._

_His own disappeared just as swiftly, and it wasn't long before Bonnie's mouth replaced where his shirt had been, as they trickled down his chest, over his abdomen, and across his torso._

_He was still rendered speechless, he realized, until finally, he cupped Bonnie's face in his hands, and looked into her shining green eyes with as much emotion as he had ever felt this decade._

_Her eyes absolutely dismantled him._

"_I love you, too," he said, before placing his lips to Bonnie's ear, and breathing in the scent of her perfume mixed with the rain, as it sat against her skin. "I am… so in love with you."_

_And he had the rest of the night to prove it, as they made love for the first through fiftieth time in his car, well beyond the end of the storm._

Bonnie gulped when she shook herself out of the memory, and she felt Damon's eyes melting against her own. She exhaled a long breath as she ran her fingers through her hair and nodded her head.

"I remember," Bonnie said softly. "I think about it more often than I want to. I… still don't know how to forgive myself for that, Damon; for saying something I didn't actually mean, yet."

"Something you _still _don't mean," he added, and she swallowed hard. "You know, Bonnie, I try so _damn _hard to be all cool, calm, and collected; to pretend like it doesn't bother me _one bit _that you've felt love before, for someone who wasn't _me_. I try to pretend that it doesn't bother me that you're getting your powers back because you still love him, even while he's dead, and there is literally _nothing _that I can do about it. Hell, I'm _torturing _myself to help you! And for what? All because you _like _me?"

"Damon—"

"No," he shook his head, as he held up a finger to stop her, and she felt tears fill her eyes. "You don't get to try to make me feel better about this when you're the one breaking my heart," he said, and Bonnie fought hard against the tears that threatened to splatter onto her face.

"I just… I need _time; _I need _time _to actually say those words to you, Damon, and _mean _them, okay? After Jeremy cheating on me, and Klaus screwing with my head, I—I can't just _fall _so easily anymore," she explained and Damon shut his eyes longingly as he tried to control the rage that threatened to engulf him at this very moment.

That night overjoyed and killed him all at once.

Because she had said it; she'd told him that she _loved _him, only to renege on those words three months later, as _she _packed up her shit, moved out of Mystic Falls, and left for New York City, like it had never meant a thing to her, at all.

Damon had been forever scarred by his first time with Bonnie Bennett, because was not only was it beautiful, but it was _incomparable._

He had never, ever, been with another girl that made him feel the way that she did, and even after finding out that she had only said those words to "keep him," he still couldn't fight off just how real it had felt, no matter how many bombshells he'd taken home to screw his mind into oblivion.

It was her; it was always only _her, _and she knew it. She _torched his heart_ with that.

And he'd be lying if he said it didn't still hurt like hell.

"Do you regret it?" he asked lowly, and Bonnie scoffed as she wiped a quick tear with the back of her hand.

"What kind of a question is that, Damon? I _hurt _you; I lied to you. It was something I never _ever _thought I was capable of, and yeah—it eats away at me every single time that I look into your eyes; every time that I _remind _myself that I can't even give you what you want," she said.

Damon remained stoic as he watched the tears piling against her eyes.

_He knew that she hated that she was crying—because crying was a sign of weakness, and damn't, Bonnie Bennett was anything but "weak,"—but he couldn't help but realize how beautiful she was, as well._

Whether she was doused in rain, like she was that night so long ago, or dressed up in a pretty chiffon dress, with jet black curls cascading over her shoulders as they were now, she was the most gorgeous person he'd ever seen, and there was nothing in the world that could change that about her.

But her beauty was also a dagger; as it repeatedly stabbed through his heart, and threatened to kill him, in more ways than one. Bonnie's beauty was the kind that could destroy him—and _had—_if he allowed it to, and just by being this close to her again, he was opening himself up for a world of hurt and pain.

After all, he didn't know how to do anything else.

"Damon," Bonnie said lightly, and he snapped out of his thoughts and she was before him, as she brushed her hands over his face, and offered an empathetic stare. "I'm _so_ sorry."

That burned Damon down to her core.

He silently pulled her hands away from his face, and Bonnie bit her quivering lip as he delightfully animated eyes dulled to a subtle blue, and he backed up further towards the door.

Her heart sunk even further.

"I shouldn't have brought this up," he mumbled, and Bonnie pressed her lips tightly. "It was stupid and selfish—_I'm _stupid and selfish. I—I'm gonna go."

Bonnie didn't say a word as Damon exited the room, and without another moment of hesitation, she was fast-catching the tears that rolled down her cheeks. The echo of the door slamming behind him rang throughout her thoughts like a bell chiming at an ungodly hour.

She thought she knew pain, when she packed her things, left Mystic Falls, and escaped from the one, true thing that she had felt in such a long time. But this? This felt like _hell, _as her throat tightened, her heart quickened, and her fingers ached with the sureness that she'd screwed up, again.

_She couldn't hold onto Damon because she was always letting him go._

Bonnie gasped as the door suddenly opened, and her eyes were met with concern as the man staring at her wrinkled his forehead with worry, before finally stepping in, and closing the door behind him.

"_Bonnie?"_

Her pale jade eyes met another shade of green, as Stefan eased in slowly towards her, with a mask of worry covering his face, as he held what looked like a jacket in hand that he tossed onto his bed.

"Are you okay? Where's Damon?" he asked, and Bonnie shrugged lightly as she moved backwards and sat down on his comforter, with her hands folded over her lap and a look of hopeless despair in her eyes.

"I don't… He left, I think," she finally let out, and Stefan moved in a bit more. "You don't have to—"

He cut her off, as he sat down beside her, and enveloped her into his strong arms with no hesitation. Bonnie immediately felt herself crumble, as she let out a soft cry that was only muffled by the barrier of Stefan's shoulder. He held her there, quietly, as he felt the water from her eyes seeping through his shirt, and he soothingly brushed her hair with the palm of his hand.

It'd been a long time since they'd been like this—Stefan comforting Bonnie—and though whatever was going on was unfortunate, it dutifully brought him back to the times where he had actually _been _there for Bonnie, and not just using her as his own Witchy Magic Eraser.

They were friends, once, and though he didn't have the gall to demand a chance to redeem himself for all that he had done to drive her to the dark side in the name of saving Elena, he'd never stopped wanting to fix this.

_He never stopped wanting to fix _her.

"I want to," he said simply, and Bonnie sniffled—still as weak as putty, as he cradled her within his arms. "Just let me be here for you, okay?"

She nodded silently, and without another word, the two sat there in each other's arms; remembering what it once felt like to be each other's saving graces.

XXXXX

Damon emptied the contents of the whisky bottle in his hand, and swallowed hard as the liquor coursed down his throat, and burned through his senses.

He set it down on the ground before wiping his hand across his mouth, and letting out a deep breath; trying to refocus his gaze that was now swirling the harder he strained to control it.

Drinking three full bottles in less than ten minutes would do that to you, he realized, as he stumbled over to the bouncer at some boisterous night club, bypassing the line of about a hundred people, and compelled his way inside in seconds flat.

He may have been obliterated, but his Jedi mind games were still top notch. And that took years of fashioning.

Damon glanced around at the scenery before him; taking in the seizure-inducing flashing lights, thick fog smoke, and loud electronic music, as he pushed his way through the dancing crowd and made his way over to the crowded bar. This place was more packed out that a can of sardines, and unless he wanted to die waiting for a Jack and Coke, he realized he'd better expand his options.

He turned his eyes to the choices before him, and lazily cocked his head as he surveyed who'd be his next Vampire Slurpee.

This place wasn't deficient in potential, but he was definitely lacking the drive to do anything too elaborate or complicated, and that slimmed the pickings down to the girls who were either dumb, single, or simply unattractive.

_He'd go with dumb. He could bypass a boyfriend, but not an unpleasant face, he discovered. _

Damon's eyes stopped when he found his perfect prey standing just across the club, as her friends coaxed her onto the bar, and she laughed eagerly before lying down to let some guy with a buzz cut do tequila shots off of her.

_Easily influenced? Bingo._

He watched on in careful precision as she cupped her hands over her face and squealed loudly as the stranger licked salt off of her stomach, while her friends snapped away with their cameras, promising that "This was going on Facebook."

He cringed at the thought. What was up with people and their obsessions with broadcasting their embarrassment for the entire internet to see?

_He'd never understand the human race, this century. He didn't even want to try._

It seemed like seconds before he found himself walking towards her; carefully weaving through the crowd, and strong-arming the hell out of anyone who simply didn't move out of his way.

When Damon stopped before Bimbo Number Five, her friends immediately exchanged pleased but wordless expressions as they admired the man before them, and giggled immaturely when they realized he wasn't lost.

_Nope. He was just hungry._

The girl was finished readjusting her shirt, and she almost gasped as she looked up at him and into his pale blue eyes, which seemed to be reminiscent of the ocean waves the longer she looked into them. Damon smiled purely, and he heard her friends seething jealously as they realized he wasn't into to any of them at all.

To be fair, he wasn't into _her, _either. He was, pathetically, still ruptured at the heart by some _Witch _who didn't love him, and basking in a little bit of blood would be the only thing to make him forget about that tonight.

The pain would return tomorrow, for sure, but he didn't care. He just needed a quick fix.

"So, where do I sign up for the tequila shots? Or is that on a first-come-first-serve basis?" he asked, and the girls twittered in unison, like a flock of birds, if he had ever seen one.

_They were making this way too easy._

"I—It wasn't my idea," she replied, with big brown eyes that sort of reminded him of saucers. "My friends—"

"Are bad influences," he winked, already knowing the drill.

"Hey, you don't look too innocent yourself," a blonde in the group called out, and Damon shrugged.

"Never said I was, darling. Doing good isn't fun," he noted.

_He should know. He hadn't become a 'good person,' by any means, but he had done enough impressive deeds to see that misbehaving himself was just so much more of his style. And tonight, he planned on doing just that._

Damon listened on politely as the girls spilled their names, and he graciously gave them his. There was a Hannah, an Ella, a Tatiana, and—the one he desired to feed off of—a Kyra. It wasn't long before Kyra was knowingly pissed off at the fact that he had come over to speak to her, yet, her friends were gobbling up his attention he was a full-size cherry pie.

Damon laughed internally.

It was always his trick to getting the girl to make the first move; show adamant attention to her for the first two minutes, and then flat-out ignore her, until her blood was boiling like a pot of sizzling water on a stove top.

Kyra was just about ready to blow when he suddenly felt a hand whipping him around at the shoulder, and spinning him to face them just as strongly.

_Christ. Not again. _

He spun around and his eyes balked when he saw the brunette standing before him, with her arms across her shoulder, and her foot tapping impatiently while she stared at him.

What the _fuck _was _she _doing here?

"Elena?" Damon asked almost in disbelief, and the doppelganger yanked him away from the group of girls with a strong—but human—tug of the arm, and whisked him out of the club faster than Usain Bolt in a street race.

_Yeah. That fast._

"Elena, may I ask what the hell you're doing here?" Damon questioned, as they finally made it out to the sidewalk, and he ripped his arm out of her grasps heatedly.

Her chestnut eyes narrowed as she smelled the alcohol on his skin, and shook her head.

"I'm keeping you from making a stupid mistake," she said, and he rolled his eyes. "I saw you skip the line when I was waiting with a few people I met when I was registering for school. Are you out of your mind, Damon? Coming here, getting ready to feed on some girl you don't know? Where's Bonnie? I can imagine she has no idea."

"It's none of your business," he shot back, as he stared at her venomously. "Hers neither. I don't need to alert the paparazzi anytime I need to _feed._"

"No, but you should probably tell your girlfriend," Elena snapped back. "What is with you? Did something happen tonight?"

"Enough with the 21 questions, Elena. I am out of here," he said dismissively, as he began to walk away from the conversation, but he should have known better; for Elena was already hot at his heels, and keeping up with him, as though she wasn't wearing 6 inch heels at all.

It was pretty damn impressive, if he were honest.

"Did you two get into a fight?" she asked, as Damon walked briskly, with his hands in his pockets.

"Define _'fight,'_" he challenged, as Elena's brows rose. "More like a discussion; the relationship-ending kind."

Elena frowned, and her voice softened.

"You broke up?"

"I don't know," he said plainly.

He was stopped again by Elena's hand and this time, he paused in his tracks to look at her. The look in her eyes was unquestionably sympathetic, and if he didn't know any better, he'd say Elena actually _cared _about his shitty situation that was going on with Bonnie. He let out a deep sigh before he pressed his back against the wall of a closed business before them, and Elena stood there quietly as she listened for any speech to escape his mouth.

Damon rubbed his eyes before finally looking down into Elena's, and he let out a short laugh followed by the swipe of his tongue over his lips. Her gaze never dropped.

"She doesn't love me," Damon said in a voice barely above a whisper, and Elena frowned. "And I have done _everything _I can to try to push myself past it—to try to give her time to feel the way that I do—but I can't anymore, Elena… I just… _can't _do this anymore."

Elena folded her arms over the chest of her black sequined dress, and her lips opened just enough for her to speak.

"How do you know?"

"How do you think I know, Elena? I asked her."

"You can't just _ask _people things like that, Damon! You're putting her on the spot—"

"So, what's my second option? Wait, oh, a _year _into this for her to tear me down, herself? The truth is better when it's ugly," he spat, and she shook her head as she looked into his eyes with building anger.

"I can't believe you, Damon," Elena said, as she shook her head, and he followed her eyes. "After _everything _that you and Bonnie have been through, you're willing to just throw it all away because you can't _make _her love you, yet? Think about what she's been through! With Jeremy, with Klaus; everything that she's done to save _all of us_—it hurt her, Damon. It did. And I get that you think it's unfair that she can't just fall back into the swing of things, but take a walk in her shoes; would you want her saying it to you _just _to make you happy?"

Damon absorbed Elena's words and shook his head.

"No," he answered honestly. "She did that, once."

"And how did it make you feel?" she asked, and he sighed.

"Like shit."

"Then it's the very last thing that you should want."

Damon tightened his knuckles, and blinked his eyes in silence.

Elena was right.

Sure, it hurt that Bonnie couldn't just feel the way that he did, yet, and it pained him to even think about the fact that maybe he just fell in love way too quickly for his own good. But did he really just want her going through the motions, again, only to make _him _happy?

_No. He didn't want that at all. He truly and sincerely wanted Bonnie to _love _him; with no questions, doubts, or worries in mind. Did she deserve a lot more time to get back into the swing of things? And was he patient enough to give it to her?_

Damon's head ached with the questions pulsating throughout his mind, and Elena's gaze piercing through him.

_Damn it. He hated feeling this way._

"Bonnie _will _love you, Damon," she said reassuringly, and he scoffed at that.

"And how the hell do you know? Last I checked, your love life sucked," he said, and Elena shrugged at that knowingly.

"No denying that. I'm starting to think I'm a leper," she said, and that garnered a soft smile from his lips, that slowly formed at hers as well, before she cleared her throat. "And I… I _know, _Damon, that she'll love you one day because… you make her so happy. I've… never seen Bonnie light up the way that she does around you with anyone, and she was my best friend. But you—you did something to her, Damon; you made her believe that she wasn't so broken, and maybe she could still have something great, after the rest of us left her life in ruins," Elena added, and Damon pursed his lips at that. "I… _know _that I haven't been the greatest friend, or anything, to anyone lately but… I know that much. I _know _that what you two have is incredible, and it's obvious that she's willing to work at it if you are."

Damon's throat suddenly felt dry as Elena's words of encouragement settled into his ears and onto his heart.

_This _was the Elena remembered; the Elena who was his _friend, _once, before they stupidly complicated things. This was the Elena who wasn't afraid to slap some logic into his head, as he begrudgingly listened to her words and realized that she was one hundred percent right.

Bonnie needed to work at this, but so did he. And even though patience wasn't his strong suit, it would be, for her. He would learn to give it time.

Damon shifted at his feet, and Elena continued to look into his eyes with much more promise than he felt worthy of.

It renewed and scared him all at once.

"What do suggest that I do?" he slurred a bit; suddenly remembering how drunk and dumb he was for even attempting to take his rage out on Kyra's carotid artery.

"I say… you get your ass home—or back to Caroline's 'party'—and sleep this off. Also, apologize. Because I'm guessing that you made her cry in the process."

Damon inhaled at that, as he envisioned Bonnie's glossy tears behind his eyes.

_Now, _he felt like a dick.

"Why aren't you at Casa de Blondie, by the way?" he asked, and Elena breathed evenly. "I'd imagine she wanted to show the place off to everyone she's shared the same air with."

Elena nodded her head, and placed her hands on her hips in response.

"She… sent me text message. It said 'Come. If you want to.' I'm guessing that she didn't _really _want me to. Neither did Stefan. Since they're 'in love' and all," Damon laughed as Elena shook her head. "I'm… _really _single, Damon—for the first time, in like, a _century. _And… after getting rejected by who I _thought _was the love of my life for who I _thought _was my best friend… I think I'm going to stick to it, for a while," she said, as they began to walk down the sidewalk.

"Don't tell anyone I said this but… 'single' is a good look on you," Damon said, and Elena turned to meet his eyes with genuine surprise. "You… don't need to get yourself all wrapped up in _another _love triangle. That last one you were in? Pftt. _Horrible._"

Elena laughed admirably, as they continued to move through the concrete jungle, in amicable silence, though the sounds of the cars, people, and everything else around them were enough to fill the void.

It felt good, she realized, to be completely on her own, for once, and though it may have been a little painful to hear the cold harsh truth from her "epic love" himself, she was now secretly happy for it. Stefan's rejection stopped her from using yet another boyfriend as an emotional Band-Aid.

Stefan's rejection was setting her up to begin the greatest relationship that Elena Gilbert would ever have in her lifetime; one with _herself._

And that had to count for something, right?

"So, you say 'no love triangles,' but… what if I just go on _The Bachelor, _or something? What about a _love octagon?_" Elena pressed, and Damon shook his head with dismay.

"Elena; stop drinking."

XXXXX

"Well, this was a bust," Caroline said loudly, as she locked the door behind her friend's Tara and Jaime as they walked out of the apartment, and she turned to face Chase, who sat on the couch with a glass of wine. "Laila came down with cold and bailed, Damon left, Bonnie and Stefan has been in his room all night, and that steak? Ugh. Kill me," she said before plopping down beside him and meeting his eyes. "I'm sorry my friends are so lame."

Chase looked up from his glass—the wine specially crafted by Damon's company, actually-and feigned a smile.

"It's not your fault, love. You tried the very best that you could."

"I know, but I—I just kind of… wanted to impress you," she sulked, and his brow lifted. "You've been to London and Paris… Cairo and Rome… you're just so _worldly. _And I'm _not. _I've been _here. _And that's it," she said, biting her lip. "I had _one job, _and I failed."

"No, no, you didn't fail," he said, shaking his head, and looking into her big blue eyes. "Besides—you got Bonnie to come. It was all that I asked."

Caroline smiled demurely, before Chase's hand rubbed along her thigh, and she straightened up again.

"What… is your obsession with her, anyway?" she asked suddenly, and he turned to face her. "I mean… if I didn't know any better, I'd say you… _want _her."

Chase shifted in his seat, as he placed his glass of wine on the coaster before him, and flashed Caroline a smile. He raised his hand to her chin; slowly bringing her eyes to meet his own, before opening his lips to speak.

"I do," he answered, and Caroline sat still as she, once again, became entranced by the glow of his eyes. "I need the witch, and the sooner I get her, the sooner I can set my plan in motion. But you won't tell anyone about now, won't you?"

Caroline nodded senselessly, and Chase grinned before placing his lips to her own the minute he heard Stefan's door open, and it was only seconds before Bonnie and the younger Salvatore were walking into the living room, while the two shared a kiss on the couch.

Chase pulled his lips away from Caroline's, and Stefan cleared his throat aggravatingly as he glanced between the two, and placed his hand on the small of Bonnie's back.

"I was just going to take the taxi ride with Bonnie back to her place; make sure she gets in safe. Didn't mean to interrupt," he said, as his eyes met Caroline's.

She swallowed flippantly, and turned away from him.

"You didn't."

Bonnie breathed as the thick tension coursed through the air, and Chase suddenly hopped to his feet and faced the two.

"Hey, why don't I give Bonnie a lift home? I have my car; it won't be a problem at all."

"I—It's okay," Bonnie finally spoke up. "I'm going to Midtown. It's probably out of the way for you."

"It isn't; I live in Midtown as well," he said, and she sighed. "Besides; it's the least I could do for my girlfriend's best friend," Chase winked, as Caroline sent him a flirty smile.

_Oh._

Bonnie turned to face Stefan, and his brows furrowed as he looked at Chase, and then back to her, before lowering his voice carefully.

"I'll take the ride, if you want, Bonnie. Your choice."

Bonnie breathed in, and finally smoothed her fingers through her hair with a soft shrug of her shoulders.

"I'd… appreciate a ride home, Chase. You stay here, Stefan… With Caroline," she said.

The vampire nodded reluctantly, and with no more hesitation, gave her a strong hug, as he held her in his arms much longer than he needed to. After finding out everything between Bonnie and Damon, he just wanted to make sure Bonnie was okay. He wouldn't ever forgive himself if he let her go through this alone.

_He couldn't do that to her, ever again._

"Call me when you get, in okay?"

Bonnie nodded against his shoulder.

"I promise."

Stefan kissed the top of her forehead chastely before Caroline made her way over to the girl, and wrapped her in her arms for a long while. They may not have talked the entire night, but she knew they were due for a heart-to-heart as soon as possible, when things settled down.

"Call me too," she said, and Bonnie laughed gently as she hugged her back.

"You got it, Care."

When she was finally relieved of the vampire's embrace, she turned to Chase, who was holding the keys to his Audi in his hand, before gently tipping his head towards the door.

"Shall we?"

Bonnie sighed and replied with a nod, as she waved at Stefan and Caroline before the man held the door open for her, and she walked out of the apartment, without another word.

**A/N: HELLO, everyone! So, it's been a few weeks since I updated (my apologies!) but I hope the wait for this chapter was worth it! We got some Bamon and YES, I am very sorry that they fought, but it was deff something I think has been building up, TBH. I wanted to show a moment that was very critical between them in the past, because it has shaped their relationship, and it is something that they need to work past. Do you think they'll overcome it? Did Damon have a right to be upset? Also, did you like Elena's advice? Not gonna lie, I find her SUPER irritating on the show, but to be fair, I'm trying to do her a little bit of justice. Her writing is just HORRID and I need her to just be better if she's gonna be in this story LOL. Does her friendship work with Damon? Give me your thoughts! Also, Stefan and Bonnie; another relationship that has gone the wayside but now seems to be on the mend, b/c he decided to be there for her. Yay or nay? Let me know how you enjoyed them too. Lastly, CHASE! Just what the HELL is this guy up to? And what the jesus is gonna happen to BONNIE, now that she's alone with him? OY VAY. ANYWAY. Thank you SO MUCH for reading. You don't know how much I enjoy hearing your feedback. The plot will continue to thicken, and there WILL be a little bit of a twist on its way. ;) Reviews are love, and I love you! 'Til next time! xox**


	14. Somebody That I Used to Know

**Somebody That I Used to Know**

"_If you don't drink your shot, I believe I'll be forced to confiscate it."_

Bonnie snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the faint sound of someone talking to her, and she cleared her throat in embarrassment when she realized she hadn't was still holding onto her shot glass filled with vodka, while her company had already downed his.

_Some drinking companion she'd made._

Bonnie reluctantly agreed to join Chase for one drink at a local bar as they were on the way home from Caroline's, and that quickly escalated to two shots and two beers, as she sat on a stool at the trendy Manhattan pub, trying to keep herself from seeing double.

_It wasn't working._

She knew this was stupid; it was a dumb idea entirely, deciding to drink away her problems with some guy she barely knew, but for tonight, she believed her alcohol issues would be the least of her worries. The quicker she went home, the quicker she'd have to deal with Damon, and the state of their crumbling relationship, and she was just not prepared for that.

No amount of pep talks in the world from Stefan Salvatore could prepare her for the inevitable; the soul crushing fact that her boyfriend hated her, and if she walked that apartment, there was a good chance he could be walking out of it.

If he was even there, that was.

Damon had yet to call, text, or send carrier pigeon, and she had no idea where he was or what he was doing.

_Or worse; who he was doing it with._

Bonnie shook the thought away, and immediately deemed herself ridiculous for even thinking that Damon would cheat on her before they were officially over. He may have been a lot of things—an arrogant, cocky, stubborn, and impulsive asshole—but he _wasn't _a cheater, and she could find some small comfort in that.

Very, very small comfort.

Because even if he wasn't cheating, she was sure he was doing something equally hurtful; like packing his things, or burning hers. After all, Damon was a bit melodramatic, and if he was going out, she was sure it'd be with an interminable bang. They'd never had a steady or calm relationship and she was starting to believe they never would.

Bonnie was shook out of her thoughts as Chase slid her another shot, and she caught it effortlessly before downing it, much to his surprise.

He was impressed.

"I'm surprised you're keeping up," he said, before downing his own, and slamming the glass on the bar. "You haven't said a word. It's like you're not even here."

"I'm…sorry," she sputtered, as she ran her hands over her face and shook her head apologetically. "I'm just—"

"Distracted?" he asked. "You haven't said much since you gotten here … I thought it was me," he said, and Bonnie shook her head.

"It's… not you," she replied, as her eyes traveled to the bottles of drinks that lined the bar before them, and she sighed. "I just have a lot on my mind, tonight."

"Care to talk about it?" he asked. "You don't seem to be in a rush to get home. Perhaps it'll do you some good to vent."

Bonnie pulled in a deep breath, and tucked a strand behind her ear.

"It's nice of you to offer, Chase, but I—I shouldn't," she said, and his brow rose softly.

"You shouldn't…. or you _can't?_" he asked simply, and Bonnie huffed. "Let me guess- your boyfriend, Damon—he'll be angry with you. He's not quite fond of me."

"Damon isn't fond of anybody," she reassured. "Not even _me, _right now. I… don't exactly know where we stand at the moment. It's complicated…" she began, and stopped.

_Why the hell was she telling him this? Sure, Chase was dating Caroline now, but she didn't know him from a hole in the wall, actually, and the fact that she was throwing back drinks with him like he was some old friend of hers was a bit unnerving, actually. _

It wasn't like she thought he was a _serial killer _or something; but there was definitely a lot more to him than met the eye, and when she agreed to come here, she remembered one of her main objectives; find out what the hell it was about this guy that toyed with her intuition so much.

She'd learned that he was born on Europe—England to be exact, though he didn't have much of an accent at all—he spoke four languages, went to NYU and attended the Tisch School of the Arts, and he listened to indie bands that Bonnie had never even heard of.

About herself? She told him she used to like to dance, and that was that. She was intent on keeping mum about herself; especially her love life. She had been doing a good job, until now.

It was time to reel back in the reigns.

"My relationship with Damon isn't any of your business," she said bluntly and Chase raised both eyebrows in enjoyment at that.

"Why not? Do you two have a few dirty little secrets that could ruin things if they got out?" he asked, and she rolled her eyes. "Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but anyone who was there tonight could see that you two aren't as blissful you want other people to believe that you are."

Bonnie's eyes immediately shot up from the bar, and pointed when they met his.

"Excuse me?" she asked, and Chase shrugged flippantly as he tapped the bar for another beer and faced her.

His bright blue eyes looked directly into hers, and she couldn't help but feel that churn in her stomach again, as their gazes met and he seemed to be studying her as if he were committing each moment to memory.

_Why did he do that?_

"Damon," Chase said and Bonnie rolled her tongue over her teeth.

"What about him?"

"He… strikes me as that type of guy; one who… can't enjoy something, unless he can control it," he said suddenly, and Bonnie's brows furrowed as she stared at him once more. "He… believes there are things about you—your relationship—that he can force; make happen… And he's upset because… you simply aren't a woman who can be handled that sort of way."

Bonnie let out a short scoff as she looked back at the bar, and straightened her pose.

"And you, Bonnie. You're… the type of girl who's been let down her entire life," he said gently. "You've loved and lost; loved again, only to have your heart stomped all over, and you're afraid—afraid that the cycle will always repeat itself, and you'll die one day, without ever having really experienced happiness," he added, and Bonnie's throat tightened. "You… have it with Damon, you _think, _but you find yourself doubting him; his _love. _Because… he loves _easily _and you do _not. _And… if he's so quick to fall in love with you, what's stopping him from falling out of it?"

Bonnie's heart picked up speed, and she didn't answer, because he was right.

The reason she was so afraid to completely give in to Damon was because of who he was. He loved hard and he loved fast. His feelings of affection were never something that took much to garner, and at the drop of a hat, he'd gotten over Elena and fell for her, instead.

In the past, they didn't really take it slow, and she realized history was only repeating itself, as she made it a note in her mind to realize that she was _living _with him, already, as well as dating him.

Things with Damon always moved at the speed of light, and that was why it scared her.

If he could fall for her so hastily, what was stopping him from transferring those feelings to somebody else once he was unsatisfied with her?

_Hell, was he doing it right now?_

Bonnie shook her head as she recognized she was driving herself crazy.

She was unequivocally scared, nonetheless, that she was just a stop in the road, for him. Damon was a serial lover at best, and though his affections were greatly monogamous once he was committed, how long would they even last?

Was it worth even falling deeply into this, when it could be over, just like that?

Bonnie gulped as she suddenly realized the air between she and Chase had become even more uncomfortable, and she cleared her throat as she leaned back into her seat.

"You don't know him. And you don't know me," she said simply, but with a strong hint sureness in her voice, as she began to stand and Chase smirked.

"Where are you going?"

"Home," she said, as she grabbed her bag, and began to walk out of the bar.

Bonnie walked briskly until she made it through the crowd, out the door, and onto the sidewalk, where she sighed with relief that there were a bunch of yellow cabs making their way to various destinations.

She'd hail a cab, go home, and pray that she'd built up enough liquid courage to talk to Damon, once and for all. What Chase said really cut her down to the core, and she refused to acknowledge any of it, right now. She and Damon would work; they just _had _to. And she wasn't going to stop until they did.

_No matter what._

Bonnie let out a deep exhale when Chase jogged out of the bar, and she turned the other way to raise her hand and wave a taxi. He immediately pulled her hand down, and Bonnie glanced at him with annoyance.

"I'll take you home. No need for the dramatics, Bonnie."

"Fuck _you,_" Bonnie said, as she pulled her hand away and shook her head. "I can figure this out on my own. I've been on my own, for a while now. I don't need your help."

"Hm," he said lowly, and Bonnie moved towards the curb, until she felt his hand pull her back by the wrist and her teeth tightened.

He was really testing her last nerve.

"So, on top of your inability to fall in love properly, you also seem to have a bit of an anger issue. Duly noted," Chase said, and Bonnie's eyes widened with rage as she stared at him incredulously.

"You don't even know me," she said starkly, as she watched a grin form at his mouth. "You know _nothing _about me."

Chase took a step in closer, and Bonnie swallowed a deep breath when his hand touched the corner of her face, before he let his fingers trickle down to her chin.

"Broken, damaged, naïve little _bitch? _I know about ten _thousand _of you, sweetheart" he spat, and before Bonnie could control it, she was administering Chase with an aneurysm, as his grip on her hand faltered, and he dropped to his knees before her.

_The goodthing about living in New York City? People said nothing and saw nothing; especially when it was a Friday night._

The minute he groaned, however, she stopped herself; realizing that she actually using her _powers _in a public place on an actual _human being_. Chase glanced up at her with damn near fire in his eyes, and Bonnie let out a deep breath.

She could have just _killed _him.

She needed to get out of here. _Now._

Bonnie finally flagged a taxi, and as the car sped over, Chase was already to his feet, and standing before her. She attempted to open the door, but his hand slammed it shut almost immediately, as she looked into his eyes.

Her heart raced.

"I didn't—"

"You _did _do that," Chase said, and Bonnie swallowed a bout of air. "And I know how, because I know _exactly _what you are, Witch," he added, and she made a move to take him down again but his eyes stopped her. "Hurt me again or run, and be sure that I will _kill_ you, right here. No hesitation."

The girl stared at him wide-eyed as he broke away from her for a second to tell the taxi driver to get lost, and Bonnie felt frozen as a look of contempt crossed into Chase's eyes and her getaway car sped away. She'd never felt so afraid of anything, in all her life, and she didn't even know what she was up against.

_Or who._

"How did you know?" she asked softly, as Chase offered her a smile. "How do you know who I am?"

"How do you _not _know who _I _am, Bonnie?" he asked, and her forehead wrinkled. "I'll give you a hint," he offered, as he reached into his pocket, and she stood there trembling, as he pulled something out.

Bonnie's eyes followed the glint of the stone encrusted on the necklace before her, and she drew in a long breath that made her even dizzier than she had been before. He smiled as he dangled it before her, and Bonnie bit her lip in an effort to look away.

_But she couldn't._

With one look, everything came rushing back to her, like a flood, and she could hardly stand through it.

_Bonnie felt a chill run down her spine as her fingers grazed against the stone, and she continued to stare at her reflection._

_Her dark brown hair was almost black, as the long waves traveled deep beyond her chest, and down her back. The ancient talisman gave just the hint necessary color to her noir outfit, as her body-hugging black dress embraced every curve of her frame almost as tightly as he was, right now. Her black designer heels immediately struck his fancy the minute he laid eyes on them, and she considered that a great thing, because they were on his credit card._

"_You look stunning," he whispered. "You are stunning—completely unstoppable."_

_Bonnie turned around to face him, and the Original smiled as she fingered the emerald once more and looked into his penetrating blue eyes._

"_Good," she said almost into the air. "Because that's what I want to be—unstoppable."_

_Klaus raised his hand to her jaw, and caressed it softly before moving in a bit closer._

_She was nearly backed up against his mirror, but he didn't stop advancing on her until he was barely a breath away. Bonnie's heart stopped when his mouth revealed his fangs._

"_Power is the last thing you will ever have to worry about, love," Klaus said smoothly, as his hands landed at her sides, and ran across her hips to her lower back. "There won't be anyone who can stop you when I'm finished with you. Perhaps, not even me."_

_Bonnie grinned at that, as the feeling of absolute supremacy slowly began to thrill her in more ways than one._

_It hadn't been long ago that her descent into the darkness had started. She'd come to Klaus in the very first place after she'd saved Elena's life, and was beginning to feel unlike herself._

_He dutifully informed her of the darkness that would begin to take her over, and though she tried to fight it, it quickly developed and continued to foster inside of her._

_It wasn't until she spoke to Klaus that she decided to give in. After all, he'd told her the tales of the many witches he'd known who's given into to their "second soul," and now were free of doing the bidding for the Other Side, with the help of a form of condemned magic called "Expression."_

_And that was what Bonnie wanted more than anything; freedom. She wanted the freedom to do as she pleased without suffering consequences, and until she decided to team up with Klaus, she wasn't quite sure how to just let go._

_But he taught her the ways that he'd seen; he'd coached her in the Art of Madness, and the next thing that she knew, she was here._

_Feeling powerfully exhilarated, limitless, and confident; she felt everything that she never felt while being a normal witch, with Klaus' aid, and she was very thankful for that._

_She was very thankful for him._

_Her friends had mostly given up on her after she saved Elena and switched Klaus and Tyler back into their respective bodies, and threw herself into a whirlwind of depression. It seemed that nobody noticed—or cared—that she wasn't quite herself._

_Nobody but him, that is._

_He knew from the very moment when she showed up at his mansion, angry, demanding answers for the way that she was feeling that something was happening to the Little Bennett Witch. And lucky for him, her friends were too vapid, immature, and inexperienced to know just what that was._

_Getting Bonnie over to his side proved to be much easier than he imagined. All he had to do was genuinely appreciate her—something she had not been used to for far too long, honestly._

_Stroking her ego, listening to her hopes and fears, providing her with a bit of wisdom and sharp confidence—it was all deliciously easier than it should have been for someone like him._

_Bonnie went from hating him to depending on him, and it was just what he wanted._

_He wanted the witch—for more reasons than one—and now that he finally had her, nothing was impossible anymore._

_He knew witches—he had plenty of them, but none of them were Bonnie Bennett. None of them could ever be her, either._

_Just her lineage alone made her one of the most dominant creatures to ever walk the planet, next to him. And now that she had given in to her dark side, he was positive that they could have everything they wanted—and then some—as they saw it fit._

_Klaus had many plans for Bonnie. And they all began with this talisman; this ancient piece of history that he had been holding onto for centuries, until the time was right._

_Until he met the right witch; until he met _her.

"_What are you thinking, love?" Klaus asked curiously, as Bonnie's green eyes traveled across his lips, and back up to his eyes._

_She offered a small smile before placing both hands on his shoulders, and drawing him with little more than her seductive gaze, and a slight pull of the hand. Klaus smiled as he felt her power buzzing from her skin straight into his veins._

"_You know what I want, Klaus," she said gently, as the hybrid acquainted his eyes with the smooth curve of her mocha shoulder, as she dropped one strap of her dress, and gazed at him suggestively._

_Klaus licked his lips in response._

"_I've been patient," she reminded him. _

"_And patience is the key, darling," he replied as Bonnie's strong glance never dropped. "Forgive me for a bit of a 'romantic,' but intimacy between an Original Vampire and a witch like yourself is a bit… binding. The feeling forged between us… it won't die, until one of does," he reminded, and Bonnie smirked._

"_Are you afraid I'll kill you if I get sick of you?" she asked bluntly, as her finger trailed across his chest, and Klaus laughed. "Or is it my 'purity' that has you all shaken up?"_

_Klaus scoffed at that part, as he bit his lip softly, and gazed into Bonnie's questioning eyes._

"_Yes, your… being a 'virgin' perhaps make it a bit… harder to just let go," Klaus admitted, and Bonnie snorted this time, as Klaus turned and walked away to continue putting things away in his bedroom. "I don' think you're ready, love."_

"_So let me get this straight," Bonnie began, as she placed both hands firmly on her hips and cocked her head. "You trust me enough to be your diabolical little partner in crime, with sizeable power, and monumental responsibility that exceeds anything you or I have ever experienced however… you won't have sex with me… I'm starting to take it personal, Klaus."_

"_Don't, sweetheart," he replied. "I am… more attracted to you, Bonnie, than I consider it safe to be."_

"_So, do something about it Klaus," the witch challenged, and he huffed as he dropped the shirt he was folding. "Unless you think my talents would be better served elsewhere—"_

_The Original raced in front of her, and Bonnie beamed as he stared at her heatedly, with his hand at her neck, and growing anger within his eyes._

"_You belong to me—"_

"_I belong to _no one,"_ she offered in response, as she used her magic to send him flying across the ridiculously large bedroom. _

_Bonnie took a simple joy in the sound of Klaus' body slamming against the wall, and in two seconds flat, he returned the favor by grabbing her quickly, and pushing her against his bed._

_Bonnie looked up into his eyes, and Klaus was staring back ragingly, though she knew he felt more lust than anything. Especially with the way her hands were crawling up the back of his shirt._

"_Your job, Klaus, is to give _me _what I _want," _Bonnie said simply, and the Original remained silent. "So, without any further ado, please; indulge me."_

_Klaus remained still for a moment, until finally, a smirk formed at his lips, and Bonnie's eyes were staring back into his. He slowly pulled her dress away, gripping with anticipation, as his eyes became transfixed on the white lingerie that she wore beneath it._

_She looked so angelic. How fitting. _

_It felt as though his mouth was watering just looking at her._

_Klaus leaned in and placed a longing kiss to Bonnie's lips, and she sighed with release as their mouths separated, and his landed on her ear._

"_As you wish, my _Queen."

_Bonnie smiled once more, as her fingers began to unbutton his shirt, and his tongue swirled around her neck just as prevalently as his fangs grazed against her throat._

_Klaus may have been an expert at getting what he wanted, but so was she. Tonight, she wanted him._

_And perhaps she would the day after that, as well._

She barely noticed when he took both of her hands into his own, and ran his thumbs along her wrists in gentle calculation. Bonnie looked into his eyes and she shook her head.

It couldn't be _him. _There was no way. She'd desiccated and buried his body, not even telling his siblings where she had done it. This man ruined not only her life but _her_, and it was _impossible _for him to be standing here before her, right now.

_How?_

"Klaus—" she began and she stopped as her head shook quietly.

She couldn't even complete her query.

"There will be plenty of times for questions, love," he said, as he pulled her in closer towards him, and focused his eyes on hers. "But for now, I'll answer one… _Yes. _I _did _in factkill Jeremy Gilbert. You can start and stop the search here."

XXXXX

Stefan squeezed the excess water out of the foam sponge, before he ran it across the granite countertop; centering his focus on the droplets of red wine that had splattered from dinner that earlier evening.

He needed to do something—_anything—_to keep his mind off of just how fucking frustrated he was with the current state of his life and his emotions.

Damon and Bonnie were going through a rough patch and he just knew he'd be pulled in two separate directions when it came to helping them resolve it. Elena was still on his mind, though he had dismissed her and her feelings, because he just couldn't shake the guilt he felt for breaking her heart with the words he had said. And finally—Caroline.

_Caroline Fucking Forbes._

She was the reason he was the most pissed off, he realized, as his roommate threw an "apartment warming" party, with the help of her new _boyfriend, _Chase just as he had finally come clean to Elena about his feelings for the bubbly blonde, herself.

And now? She had completely and totally crushed him by deciding to start a relationship with somebody else, while being utterly and absolutely unapologetic about it.

_He couldn't say that he blamed her._

Stefan had volleyed between his feelings for her and Elena long enough to stir a lot of doubt in Caroline's mind, and he knew he was unfair to do it. But he couldn't help himself, he realized.

He needed to be _sure _what he felt for Caroline was enough to take things to the next level, and they were, he discovered, as Elena attempted to find her way back into his heart, and he just couldn't comply with her desires, anymore.

He knew what and _who _he wanted, now, and it was Caroline.

_Too bad she was making it painfully clear that she didn't want a thing to do with him._

Why else would she parade around with this stranger on her arm, so shamelessly for everyone this side of Manhattan to see, otherwise? If she was trying to make him jealous, she'd succeeded, and he was fit to throw in his white flag right fucking now.

It was obvious she was over it just as quickly as they had started it. And he'd lost his chance.

He'd lost _her._

Stefan swallowed hard when he heard Caroline's faint footsteps approaching from the hallway, until she finally made her way into the kitchen, in no time flat.

He didn't look up from the counter as he scrubbed away, and he tried the best to ignore the sound of Caroline's voice when she cleared her throat and finally addressed him.

"Living room's all clear," she said in an even, unwavering tone. "I was going to take the garbage down to the chute, but it'll be fine if I take it out tomorrow."

Stefan pursed his lips and didn't say anything, as he turned on the sink, and wrung the sponge dry. He had never been one for small talk, and Caroline knew that. She breathed in exasperation before he made out the sound of her crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her foot.

She wasn't going to leave him alone, just yet.

_Lucky him._

"Have you heard from Bonnie, yet?" she asked curiously, and Stefan shook his head simply.

"Nope."

There was a long silence again, as Caroline dropped her hands and sighed.

"Maybe we should call her; see if she got home okay."

"Yeah; I guess if you already have reasons to not trust your new boyfriend," he answered sharply, as he turned off the faucet and placed the sponge in the sink dish. "Be my guest."

Stefan could feel her eyes burning against him, and he made it a point to not even look her way. If he did, he was very liable to snap, and he didn't want to; not at her.

_This was his entire fault, anyway, he decided._

Stefan dried his hands, and began to walk out of the kitchen, only to be blocked with Caroline's body as she stood in front of the door way. He couldn't help his eyes from running over her legs that were obviously exposed from her thin shorts, and her bare shoulders that he so greedily observed with a quiet gaze through her black tank top.

It wasn't until their eyes met that he realized just how angry he was with her, as her sapphire orbs studied him—damn near visually _harassed _him—to the point of making him want to scream out, just then and there.

Caroline's blonde locks fell at her blades in such an elegant way that it made his stomach turn and head spin, all at once. It aggravated him how much he was feeling—still feeling—for her, when she made it blatantly obvious that she didn't give a damn about his feelings the minute she invited that guy _Chase _into their home. Stefan was merely a spectator—undoubtedly, on the sidelines—as Caroline started anew with somebody else, and he couldn't do a damn thing about it, at this point, could he?

Stefan made a motion to move past her, and she stopped him by planting both hands on his chest, as he was still clothed in his button-up from the night's events.

She sucked in a deep breath.

"You're being an ass," Caroline said firmly, and Stefan scoffed as his jade eyes shone with something just short of _rage _the minute the words passed her cherry red lips. "You have been, all night."

"Have I, Caroline?" he asked strongly, and the girl sucked her teeth. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I couldn't just be _happy _for you while you and your new boyfriend were throwing a party in our fucking apartment to celebrate your 'relationship.'"

"It was to celebrate our _move _here, Stefan, and you know that! Are you _seriously _that jealous that I found somebody else who's not afraid to be honest about what they feel? Last I checked, you spent the night at _Elena's _instead of coming home the other day, and not once did I badger you about it!"

"You don't even know what happened!" he yelled. "You don't know anything, Caroline—and I guess now, it doesn't matter, right? It doesn't matter what I said to her?"

Caroline stared at him for a long minute before Stefan finally brushed past her and out of the kitchen. She spun around to watch him as he picked up his cell phone from the coffee table, and stuffed it into his pocket. Before Stefan could take off to his bedroom, she broke the silence.

"What did you say to her?"

Stefan laughed bitterly into the air.

"Who cares? You're happy. And I'm—happy for you," he forced, as she rolled her eyes.

"Don't do that, Stefan."

"Do what?"

"Don't pounce on me one second, and then pretend like it's all in my head, the next!" she exclaimed, and he turned to face her. "If you have something to say, then say it—"

"Fine," he shot back, as Caroline stopped right in front of him, as she looked up into his enraged eyes with her own reaching levels of damn near fury. "I told Elena that I have feelings for you, Caroline—real feelings. The kind of feelings that… make me realize what I want and _who've _wanted this entire time, Caroline… And it's _you. _It's… always been _you._"

Caroline stared at him as though she were in a state of shock, before letting out a short laugh in disbelief as her eyes continued to enlarge. His remained the same.

"Come, again?" she breathed, and Stefan shook his head as he backed away.

Caroline pressed her lips tightly.

"I can't, Caroline. I—I finally realized that I wanted to be with you, but now… Now you have a boyfriend, and I can't be that guy that comes in between—"

His speech stopped when her lips met his for a brief moment and damn near took his breath away.

Stefan felt paralyzed as Caroline's soft mouth moved against his for another second, before she finally pulled away and looked into his eyes. The expression in his was a mixture of relief but bewilderment, as he stared back at her, and Caroline inhaled; unsure of what to say next.

_Sorry? Thank You? You're welcome?_

She had no idea, honestly, as she and Stefan stared at each other like it was the first time they had ever met in all their life. It didn't feel that way, of course, as she rejoiced in the brief joy that ran throughout her bones the minute their lips touched and jumpstarted her heart.

Stefan looked just as confused, but elated, as well, as he didn't seem to move an inch, even after she kissed him. Finally, he mustered the courage pull her by the hand and he kissed her again; this time, feeling the odd heat of her body fermented against his.

Caroline let out a soft moan when their lips touched, causing a frenzy of guilt, happiness, and lust to run through her, like an athlete at a 5k marathon.

"_This is not okay," she repeated mentally, as Stefan's hands formed against her back, and pulled her in deeper, as their tongues continued to lengthen the kiss. "This is not okay."_

It wasn't okay, but it felt pretty damn right as she tasted hints of wine and peppermint on his mouth with his press of his lips to hers.

_He was intoxicating. And she realized she just couldn't get enough._

Caroline's fingers began to trail up his shirt, and Stefan's hands gripped her sides so hard, she was sure that he bruised her.

The two continued kissing and moving along with the motions, until they toppled on the couch, with Caroline landing on his lap, though her lips never splitting from his.

_He wouldn't allow it._

His hands pulled her in so tightly, he wondered just how he hadn't hurt her yet, as the blonde didn't skip a beat in the impromptu make-out session. He was kissing her; longer, harder, faster, as her hips slowly began to grind against his, and Stefan had to restrain himself from just flipping her over and tearing right through her clothes.

So when Caroline placed her fingers at the first button of his shirt, and toyed with the notion of undressing him, he firmly grabbed her hands and stopped her; struggling to catch his breath as the girl stared at him heatedly and lustfully.

_He honestly believed he could get off, on just that look._

"You have a boyfriend, Caroline," he said, and she snorted as she looked into his eyes until she realized he was being completely serious.

"Seriously?" she shrieked, and Stefan licked his lips. "We've been dating for like three days. Now's not the time to play morality police, Stefan. Especially not after we've already been making out for five minutes."

Stefan opened his mouth to protest that, but Caroline's lips caught his immediately, and drowned his own in a sea of affection. When he finally pulled away, he held her by the cheeks, and bit his lip in petulance.

"It still counts, Caroline. And I shouldn't have kissed you back. I know it makes things harder because—"

Caroline's lips were planted to his again, and Stefan found himself quickly getting wrapped up in the kisses again, as she started to unbutton his shirt, until it was completely open. When she ripped it off of his arms, the kisses between them were no longer sweet but savage, as she attacked him at the mouth and he readily complied with each suck, bite, and nip that Caroline took.

Caroline pulled away for a second, and Stefan's breath were entirely labored as he looked into her eyes and she placed both hands at his neck. He thumbs ran along the vein beneath his skin.

"I want you, Stefan. I want to be _with _you. And if you want me to text Chase right now to tell him that things are over, fine; I will. But I happen to think that there are more important matters to attend to… Like how fast you can get out of those jeans."

Stefan sighed as he looked into her eager eyes, and shook his head.

He wanted to—_very badly—_but he just couldn't, yet. Caroline sensed his hesitation and groaned as she sat up moodily and crossed her arms.

"Your ethics ruin everything."

"I'm sorry," he said apologetically. "I just… I wanna do this the right way, okay?"

Caroline groaned but agreed, reluctantly. He was right; being honest was _way _more important than just being horny. And because she liked him, she should have actually wanted this to work. She didn't want to jump right into it when there was so much to be explored and conquered before they took it all the way.

In a sense, she appreciated Stefan for being so "gentleman-like." She'd never had a guy who just wanted to wait, and now, she was blessed with one who actually wanted to do things in a sincere way. And she appreciated that.

She appreciated _him._

"Fine. I'll call Chase tomorrow. Tell him thanks for the Keurig that he gave us, but that I'm hot for my roommate, and he'll be the only one I'll be waking up in the morning to make coffee for."

Stefan grinned at that, as his hands traced over Caroline's stomach and he looked up into her eyes. She smiled bashfully.

"You're gonna make me coffee? That's a big step for a girl who doesn't do any dishes," he said, and Caroline snorted as she pinched his arm and Stefan laughed heartily.

She smiled in return.

"We have a dishwasher for a reason."

"Oh, no way. It's better if you do them by hand. It's cleaner."

"This isn't 1864, Stefan. I don't give a shit about what you did in the 'Old Country,'" she snapped, and she immediately squealed as he pinned her beneath him and began to kiss her neck, shoulders, chest, and ear.

"I can show all about what I did in the 'Old Country,'" he whispered, before planting gentle kisses along Caroline's jaw.

He couldn't exactly say that he was proud of himself right now for blowing up at Caroline the way that he did, before kissing her back, and now letting her actively cheat on her boyfriend with him, but he'd be lying if he said it didn't feel great as well.

Caroline wasn't going to deny it either, as Stefan knew just what to do and how to do it, as he worked his tongue against his ear, and his hands against her skin. She wasn't about to complain about any of it.

He promised himself that he'd remember to call Bonnie—and Damon—later, when this was all over; because even with Caroline purring happily into his ear right now, he was still worried, and he still had brother/friendship responsibilities to attend to.

Those responsibilities quickly escaped his mind the moment they began kissing again, and just like that, he lost track of all time and space.

_He was definitely going to be busy for the rest of the night._

XXXXX

Damon turned off the faucet to shower, and leaned his head against the tile for a minute—taking in the steam from the air, and filling his lung with the heat that enclosed him before finally grabbing his towel, and wrapping it around his waist.

He ran his fingers through his matted hair; loosening the constrictions as he walked out of the bathroom, and tried his best to steady his thoughts.

With Elena's urging, he'd taken his ass back home, in hopes of Bonnie being here so that they could discuss where they stood with this "thing" they were doing, once and for all. Things had gotten ugly between them during the argument at Stefan and Caroline's, and though he should have hated her for it, he also hated himself. He was completely incapable of having a good thing while it was "good," and with his pressure to make her feel the way that he does, he'd done nothing but further drive a wedge between him and Bonnie again.

Of course, she was no angel, because she was basically playing Whack-a-Mole with his heart at this point, and he'd call her out on it as soon as they talked, but up until now, he hadn't heard a word from her.

He'd called Stefan Caroline to receive no answer, which led him to believe his brother and Vampire Barbie were indeed sexy-timing it up. Elena hadn't heard from her either, and even a sick and bed-bound Laila, who was still as knowledgeable as Gossip Girl any day, was clueless as to where Bonnie could be.

He wouldn't say that he was scared, but he was, perhaps, a bit worried about it.

Not worried that she was in danger, but definitely petrified that she'd decided not to come back to him, after all.

Damon glanced at the time on the clock, and let out a gentle sigh.

_1:13 A.M. _

Bonnie had come home later, before, when she went out for Girl's Nights, but something about _tonight _didn't sit well in his stomach. Especially because she wasn't hanging out with anyone _he knew. _

Damon rolled his tongue over his teeth, and imagined one more possibility.

_Chase._

That shady blonde creeper was definitely suspect, and if Bonnie was out with _him, _Damon believed they were up to no good. Whether he was Caroline's "boyfriend" or not, he just didn't trust him; and especially not around his girlfriend.

If he could still even call her that.

Damon walked into the kitchen, and opened the refrigerator, as he decided now would be the best and right time to have that taste of blood that he'd been dying for all night. A blood bag wouldn't be as good or as fresh, but he'd survive. And if Bonnie really was out with Chase right now, it'd be best if he were on a full stomach when she broke the news to him.

_Yeah; it'd definitely be best._

Damon gulped down half of the blood bag before he heard the front door open, and he slowly shut his eyes to gather his thoughts for a moment before finishing his meal, and discarding the plastic in the trash.

Should he greet her? Should he ignore her? He had no idea what to do or say, as he heard the clicking of Bonnie's heels making their way through the living room, before finally, she appeared in the kitchen only moments later.

Damon looked up from the counter slowly, still wrapped in his towel, as his eyes coursed over her deep brown skin, long black waves, and full nude lips before finally catching her eyes.

She didn't look any less beautiful to him, he realized, as she made her way over to the table, dropped her pocket book, and then washed her hands silently at the sink.

Bonnie then reached into the fridge for a bottle of water, and he watched as she slowly twisted off the cap and gulped down about three quarters of the contents in just one breath.

He finally found the courage to speak.

"Thirsty?" he asked, and she nodded quietly, before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, and meeting his eyes.

"Drunk."

Damon picked up on that, as he sensed the smell of vodka on Bonnie's skin before she even walked into his vicinity. She'd been drinking, a lot, and it was painfully clear that right now would not be the time to have this conversation. Maybe not even tomorrow, if she was hung-over—which he was sure she would be.

Damon sighed as he made his move to leave the kitchen, but he was stopped by Bonnie's body, as she slowly but surely backed him into the counter, and his eyebrow rose when her arms boxed him in.

That was totally _his _move.

Damon didn't say anything as the silence that passed between the two became so stifling he nearly needed an oxygen mask to breathe. Bonnie's green eyes were unusually vibrant, and if he were honest, they were probably the most magical that he had seen them in quite some time. He wanted to kiss her; but he knew that he shouldn't without talking about things first.

Like whether or not they were even together right now, and just what the hell she was doing cornering him in their kitchen at one in the morning, like she was a shark and he was her fucking prey. Questions needed to be asked and answered, and he cursed himself when he felt himself spilling them, though he promised it could wait until tomorrow.

_He lied._

"Where were you?" Damon asked sharply, and Bonnie shifted, though her hands remained firmly planted on the counter.

"A bar."

"With who?"

"A friend," she said cryptically.

"A certain _male _friend that we may or may not have gotten into an argument about earlier?" he asked, and Bonnie cocked her head.

"Don't be dramatic," she answered, as her hands smoothed over the skin of his abdomen before she looked into his glistening cobalt eyes again. "I don't want to fight with you, Damon."

"Then what do you want? A puppy?" he asked, and Bonnie smiled. "Bonnie, I'm serious. I—I'm probably wasting my fucking time talking to you about this right now, but you know what? I don't give a shit. _What _do you want? If it isn't _love _right now, then what is it?"

Bonnie stood there quietly, and his stomach boiled with anticipation of her latest letdown.

_She wanted a break. She wanted space. She wanted for him to stop fucking care so much, he internally itemized._

Why was he even asking her this? Why did it even matter? She was just going to ask for something he probably couldn't give her right now.

Bonnie's hands continued to move along his skin, and Damon stopped her in frustration.

"Bonnie—"

"You," she said honestly. "I just want… _you._"

The vampire ticked his jaw as he looked into her piercing olive eyes, and he felt himself slowly succumbing to the longing that lay right beyond her own. As much as he had called tonight "the last straw," and he had promised himself he'd be done with this once and for all, he wanted very much to default on that vow with each passing moment that she peered into his senses.

Maybe he was just still drunk too, but something had definitely been a little bit different about Bonnie since the moment she walked in, and if he were honest, it completely captivated him when he should have still been harboring some sort of ill will towards her for what happened earlier.

But he couldn't.

Because whatever the hell she was doing was _distracting._

Damon pursed his lips as Bonnie's hands slid over his bare chest, and her nails gently traced circles along his skin. He closed his eyes as she leaned in and softly pressed her lips to the corner of his shoulder. Damon swallowed hard as Bonnie left a trail of his along his chest, stopping with each kiss so sensually, he could barely even think straight. His hands slowly met her own and Bonnie tilted her head innocently as Damon's eyes opened and regained their seriousness before he opened his mouth to speak.

"Whoa there, sex kitten," he said softly, and Bonnie smirked. "If you want me—_all of me_—you're gonna have to work for it this time. The past few hours have led to great reflection, and I think that I'm finally over this little game where you throw out the line, then I chase you, continuously, and you stomp on my heart like it's a dirty cigarette butt," Damon said, as he dropped her hands, and crossed his arms. "It's your move, Bennett... if we're gonna… work through this then you have to want to work, too."

Damon watched as Bonnie's eyes narrowed a bit as he finally moved past her, and out of the kitchen, in moments flat.

Whatever vodka she was on at the moment may have had her being super flirty, but he knew the drill; in the morning, they'd be back to right where they always were after Bonnie realized she made a foolish mistake, and Damon was stuck dealing with it. He didn't want to keep going in circles; not anymore.

Bonnie had to _want _to be with him, on her own merit, and she'd have to let go of her trust issues, once and for all. And Damon? Well, he'd have to learn patience if he truly wanted this girl to stick around, as well as resistance, too.

It was in his nature to always want to tackle things, head on, but for now? He was making it Bonnie's job. He'd done enough chasing, pining, bending, working, and begging to last him 'til infinity, and if he wanted things to be different this time, he was going to have to take the step back and allow Bonnie to take some initiative.

He'd heed to Elena's advice in the aspect of not giving up. But as for giving in?

_Fuck that._

Damon walked back down to his bedroom, and he nearly jumped when Bonnie was already standing there before him, with both hands on her hips and a decadent gaze in her eyes. He let out a short laugh as he shook his head, and scratched his hair.

These witches could be so _creepy _sometimes, when it came to their magic.

Or hot. Creepy and hot.

Bonnie quietly raised a palm and the door closed behind her, immediately. With the simple flick of her wrist, the lock turned as well, and Damon's eyes squinted as Bonnie's never dropped from his the entire time she worked her little magic routine.

The candles in his bedroom were aflame instantly, and he may or may not have let out a surprised breath when his back suddenly slammed against his bed, and his arms felt trapped as he lay against the comforter vulnerably. Damon attempted to lift his hands but they seemed pinned there, along with his legs, as he was only head to lift his head, and stretch his neck to see what Bonnie was doing.

"You're showing off," he said firmly, and Bonnie grinned.

"I'm showing _up,_" she said, and his brow curved. "I want you, Damon. _Now. _And if you won't give me what I want, then I'll just have to _take _it."

He couldn't debate her logic the minute he watched her unzip her dress, as the pretty chiffon fabric fell to the ground, revealing her red lace bra with the matching underwear. He noticed a necklace around her neck that he had realized before, and Damon studied it silently, though it was much harder taking his attention away from Bonnie's petite but shapely body, though he had seen it dozens of times.

Something about the jewelry interested him.

When Bonnie appeared before him, Damon inhaled a sharp breath the moment he felt her rip the towel away, and her lips land on his stomach, while they continued to go lower and lower. His arms and legs were still frozen, he realized, but that only seemed to add to the fun, as Bonnie rendered him downright helpless, as she made it her mission to have her way with him, in more ways than one.

If this was her idea of an apology, he was totally here for it.

Damon stifled the sounds that threatened to escape his lips for the first few minutes. He didn't want Bonnie to just _win—_especially after that speech about making her "work for it," but damn it to hell, she was _winning._

Damon let out his first groan since she'd started, and he shook his head in absolute wonder.

He'd never been shy about traveling down under when it came to sex, but Bonnie? She was. She "just didn't do _that,_" she'd told him one day over Chinese takeout on her couch, and he'd nearly spit out his Lo Mein as his eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

_Was he seriously supposed to date a girl who didn't give blowjobs? That didn't sound like fun at all._

Stefan told him not to be an ass about it, and eventually, he wasn't, but every now and then, he was. After all, he was Damon, and that was the type of thing you'd get with him.

"What the _hell_ has gotten into you?" Damon finally moaned, as Bonnie's lips wrapped around him, and his heart palpitated with each movement as the intense wave of pressure and pleasure continued to build within his veins, until finally, she allowed his hands to be free so he could grasp on for his life.

Damon muttered obscenities as his hands gripped her hair into his fists, and Bonnie separated her lips from his skin long enough to look up into his fiery eyes to answer his question.

_What the hell had gotten into her?_

Bonnie wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, as Damon gasped for air, and she offered him a smile before climbing up between his legs, and lowering the straps of her bra, much to his satisfaction. Damon smoothed his hands over her thighs as she straddled his lap with a wicked gaze in her eye, as her fingers toyed with the stone on her necklace.

"The Devil," she smirked, before lowering her lips to neck, and piercing her nails into his skin.

**A/N: Hey, guys! So, I loved all of your reviews on the last chapter, and I tried my best to write another ASAP, so here it is and I hope you enjoyed it! First off, raise your hand if you predicted Chase was Klaus, and then pat yourself on the back, b/c job well done! Hahaha. What do you think he wants, & how do you think his being back will affect Bonnie? (Spoiler alert, A LOT; it's already begun to). Did you like the flashback that gave a little bit more background on their relationship as well? More will be revealed as the story goes on, so if you have questions, they will soon be answered! NEXT, STEROLINE. Because you guys were screaming for some stuff between them in the last update. Where do you think they go from here, and will this help or hinder their relationship? Thoughts! Lastly; Bonnie and Damon, dun dun dun. First off, what do you think about Damon putting the ball in Bonnie's court for once? About time? Secondly, how do you think he's gonna feel about a darker Bonnie as this fic begins to go on? This story (as stated in the summary) is basically going to be about Damon being stuck between the light and the dark when it comes to Bonnie and her changes in her personality. She might not always do things you're gonna like (fair warning) and we'll see how he deals with that and whether he feels obligated to save the Bonnie we all know and love OR will her more malicious side get into his head a little bit more than he would like…. ANYWAY. Thank you SO much for reading. You are all SO amazing and I just love reading what you all think about the story I've created. You're wonderful. Read, review, and jdhsjksjdfksdjfk;sd BAMON HUG FROM 4x15 so I expect to hear that ALLLLL of you fangirled as hard as did because finally. FINALLLLLLLY. LOL. Okay, I'm done. Love you all and ta-ta for now! 3**


	15. Ain't No Rest for the Wicked

**Ain't No Rest for the Wicked**

_Klaus slammed Bonnie's body up against the brick wall in the dark basement, and the girl let out a loud grunt when her back met the cold surface roughly and abruptly. She breathed deeply as he moved in towards her and she looked around feverishly before he approached._

_She had no idea where Klaus had taken her after he'd forced her into the car, and it didn't help that it was so damn dark here, either. The building—that she was sure was abandoned, at this point—had no windows on the underground floor, and just one door, that was definitely too far across the way. She let out a sharp breath when Klaus lit a candle, and she raised the palm of her hand precariously as he looked firmly into her eyes._

_He smiled._

"_I wouldn't do that if I were you, love," he warned, as he tucked away his lighter, though Bonnie never dropped her hand. "This body isn't mine, and I know how much it would tear you apart if you had a hand in killing poor innocent 'Chase Sotheby,' who had nothing to do with any of this," Klaus added as he placed the candle down and it barely illuminated the room._

_Bonnie scoffed as she shook her head._

"_I don't care, Klaus! If I have to kill him to get rid of you, I will _gladly _do it," Bonnie said, and Klaus' brow rose as he watched the anger she filtered beyond her eyes. "I won't let you ruin my life again."_

_Klaus ran his tongue along his teeth as he began to move near her again, and Bonnie's muscles tightened when he finally stood before her, with an inquisitive look on his face._

_It was like he was here, but he really wasn't; and that was what scared her the most, as she looked into the eyes of this innocent stranger. She couldn't yet process that this was_ Klaus. _She couldn't yet come to terms with the fact that the man she had desiccated and buried was standing before her, in some way or another and she had no idea how it happened, at all._

_She needed to figure this out._

"_Where am I?" she asked, as she looked around, and rubbed her head. "You drugged my drinks, didn't you?"_

"_Guilty," he winked, as Bonnie glanced at him in disgust. "As for where you are… well, I can't tell you that, love. You might call up all of your little friends, and tell them about this, and we can't have that, now, can we?"_

_Bonnie swallowed hard and relented as she realized learning her whereabouts were useless._

"_How are you here?" she asked strongly, as his blue eyes glowed in the dim room. "Why?"_

"_Oh, I believe you know why, Bonnie; we have a bit of some unfinished business," he snapped back, and her bones stiffened. "You were my witch; you were important to me."_

"_You didn't give a damn about me," she shot back. "You still don't. How are you here?" she questioned again. "I buried you; I desiccated you, too—"_

"_And it seems your little plan to get rid of me didn't work too well, now, did it?" he asked, as Bonnie's eyes became daggers. "You know very well that you aren't the only witch I have a connection with, don't you? I have others who are _loyal; _who didn't stop looking for me after you _made _me disappear. They're like my little soldiers."_

"_Then why me?" Bonnie asked boldly, as he green eyes shone. "Why do you need me for anything if you have thousands of covens of witches falling at your knees to do whatever the hell it is that you want?"_

"_Because there is only one witch that I _want, _Bonnie, and it's you… You're only one who _truly _understands me."_

_Bonnie sucked in a mouthful of air when Klaus stepped in even closer, until their noses were nearly touching, and she could feel gentle expels of his breath along her skin. His hand rose to her neck, and at first instinct, she went to slap it away, but his eyes stopped her._

_Bonnie remained still as his fingers trailed along the vein beneath her skin, all the way up to her cheek, as her heartbeat rose at a maddening pace. Klaus licked his lips as his eyes continued to look into hers, while his thumb caressed her jaw._

_Bonnie's erratic breathing subsided._

"_And I'm the only one who understands you," he continued, as Bonnie shut her eyes, and his mouth landed against her ear. "You're not happy with Damon."_

"_Don't bring him into this," she said, with a sudden edge to her voice. "He saved me, from _you; _from the _monster _you turned me into-"_

"_The monster you were always meant to be," he said, as she shook her head in refusal, and swallowed hard. "You remember how _good _it felt to be _alive_, don't you? I made you feel _incredible."

_Bonnie didn't reply as she shamefully recalled how fearless she had been, once upon a time, when Klaus helped her to open up to floodgates to a new world, and a side of her, that she never knew existed, until him._

_She'd always been bold, strong, brave, and selfless, but after he helped to bring about her "second soul?" She was domineering, commanding, free-spirited, and truly unstoppable. She didn't let her friends walk all over her, anymore; she didn't let the spirits control her, either, as she channeled a new source of forbidden magic. She'd finally had the chance and the ability to live by her own terms, and it was exhilarating, to say the least._

_It was like being on some type of drug; as if the more power she had, the higher she felt. And she felt good—she felt _remarkable—_because for once in her life, she was the one calling the shots. _

_And if she were honest right now? She'd been dying to feel that way, again, just one last time._

"_He holds you back from what you're true destiny is," Klaus interrupted her thoughts, in a soft whisper. "You're a resilient, powerful, _unstoppable witch, _Bonnie," he said, echoing her thoughts. "And somehow, he's made you believe that you are ordinary. He wants you to be less than what you are."_

_Bonnie didn't answer as she pursed her lips, and continued to take in Klaus' words, while the man slid his hands to her sides. She was trying her best not to let his ill-fated words get to her, but she couldn't help it. _

_Had she really only been happy with Damon because he made her feel like she was normal? How long would it take for them to realize that she _wasn't _average? She was a witch, and he was a vampire; they would never be conventional._

_Was it time that she embraced that and what she could truly be?_

_Bonnie shook her head and bit her lip. She needed to stop letting Klaus get into her head._

"_He wants to protect me," she said confidently. "He has a reason to be this way because… I went crazy. I did some horrible things; I almost killed my best friend! And just when everybody else thought I was lost, _he _brought me back. Damon saved my life. And he will, again, when he figures out that I'm missing."_

"_Damon hasn't 'saved' you at all," Klaus yelled back, as her hands balled into fits. "He's stripped you of everything that makes you _enticing, _Bonnie, because he can't handle you! Not the way that I can. I want you to be who you are; a strong, limitless_ _witch, who can bring the world to its knees, at my side. Acting as though you're anything less is nothing but an embarrassment! You're selling yourself short."_

_Bonnie didn't say a word as Klaus continued to gaze at her, and she felt tears filling her eyes. She held them back, even with a quivering lip, and Klaus sighed as he placed his hand to her chin and tilted her face to meet his._

"_I do not mean to upset you, love," he said gently, as she followed his eyes. "I just want to help you—I've only ever wanted to help you… You don't love him, Bonnie. You never will; not the way that you love the feeling this _power _gives you. You've been voiceless, weak, and fragile, for far too long… You remember what it feels like to be in _control, _and you want that, don't you?"_

_Bonnie remained silent as Klaus reached into his pocket, and pulled out the familiar necklace that had once belonged to her, before she desiccated and buried his body along with the amulet. She watched as the jewelry dangled in the air between his fingers, and her eyes were immediately hypnotized by the shiny green stone that glowered the minute she set her attention on it. Bonnie snapped out of her thoughts, but he spoke before she could say a word._

"_You've missed this, haven't you? You remember all the power that came with it," he said softly, as he tilted his head. "And you've missed me, as well."_

"_Go to Hell," she replied, and Klaus smirked as his fingers brushed her long dark locks behind her ear._

"_If only I could take you with me," he retorted, and she ticked her jaw. "Just turn it all off, love; you know it'll be better that way. You won't have to deal with the guilt of the fact that Damon loves you far more than you feel for him; you _know _how to make this all go away if you just _give in._"_

_Bonnie looked down at the ground and swallowed hard. Klaus' fingers trailed down to her chin, and she didn't even bother to push him away, or fight him off._

_He internally grinned at the chord he just struck._

"_C'mon, love—what's life without a little bit of fun? You know he'll like you better this way… You're doing nothing more than _torturing_ him, right now, because you feel too much but never enough for _him_."_

"_Stop, "she said, as she shook her head, and the tears threatened her eyes again. "Stop saying that I don't love him."_

"_You've broken Damon's heart; again, and again, and again, Bonnie," Klaus continued, as she still looked away. "How could you possibly love him? You know that you never will."_

"_That's not true," Bonnie shot back, and Klaus narrowed his eyes with a smirk. "I know that I can love him; I'm falling in love with him! I just—I can't say it, again, until I'm sure. I—I can't do that to him, again."_

"_So, when will enough finally be enough, sweetheart? When will you finally stop being selfish and just turn it off, so you can't damage him any more than you already have? You admit that you've done it."_

"_Klaus, stop—"_

"_If he wanted to be with a girl who doesn't know who she is, or what she wants, I believe he could have continued his wild goose chase for Elena Gilbert—"_

_Klaus' words were cut off, as Bonnie finally raised her hand, and sent the body of the man before her flying to the other side of the room. Klaus' back crashed against the ground, and Bonnie narrowed her eyes as she watched him moan in pain, before she started a quick fire that trailed all the way over to him—stopping just short of his skin._

_Klaus looked up from the ground at her face, as Bonnie walked over with a renewed sense of confidence in her eyes. He didn't say a word as his body felt completely immobilized against the floor, and the witch easily stepped over the flames, and stood above him._

_She rose her palm again and he writhed in pain, when she tested the fire against his skin, and waited for him to yell in anguish. _

_She smirked when he did._

"_I'm trying to help you!" he yelled, as Bonnie burnt the edge of his hand, and watched as his body twisted in pain. "What the hell are you doing?"_

"_I know what I want, Klaus—and I _know _how to get it," Bonnie said, as her olive eyes glanced at the amulet, and then back into his crystal blue eyes. "So what the hell makes you think I need anything from you?"_

_Klaus huffed when she raised the flames of the fire around them, and she stood there, fearlessly, amongst them. His eyes became serious when he looked back at her._

"_We're at the start of something, Bonnie—something big. And if you don't listen to me, very carefully—"_

"_You'll kill all of my ex-boyfriends?" she asked bitterly, as she rose the flames another inch. "Try again, Klaus."_

_The man licked his teeth, and Bonnie stood tall as she continued to peer down at his paralyzed body. _

"_You'll die," he said, and she remained silent. "We _all _will. Trust me when I say that something wicked comes our way, and if we don't attempt to battle it now, the end will be near. For all of us. I am here because I aim to protect you."_

_Bonnie scoffed as she folded her arms, and shook her head._

"_You're full of shit," she said, and he glared at her angrily. "You've been desiccated for over a year, Klaus. How the hell do you know anything?"_

"_My witches talk, Bonnie," he said as she rolled her eyes. "And when they won't—I get into their heads. How do you think I know all about your conflict with Damon? Your fleeting confidence?... Your thoughts, about _me?_" he asked. "I killed Jeremy to anger you, sweetheart; to get you right back to using that magic of yours. I brought the necklace because you're going to need it—you won't survive without it. Not up against _him._"_

_Bonnie didn't say a word, but she lowered the flames around them, and Klaus breathed when he regained the feeling in his limbs. Before he could sit up, Bonnie was on top of him, with her hand at his neck, and her fingers firmly wrapped around his throat._

_Him, _who?

_His eyes darkened again as he struggled to breathe. He cursed this human body for its obvious lack of strength when it came to battling the enraged witch. He needed his body back, now, more than ever._

_Bonnie looked into his eyes, and bit her lip before opening her mouth to speak._

"_I don't trust you, and I sure as hell could give a damn about protecting you," she said bluntly, as her fingers tightened. "You want me to 'turn it off,' Klaus? Fine; you've gotten your wish. But it's only because I'm going to do what I have to do to save myself from whatever this thing is that you're so afraid of."_

_Bonnie snatched the emerald out of his hand, and held onto it tightly as she continued to stare him down. Klaus sucked his teeth, and Bonnie sent him a look of assurance before tucking it into her pocket. _

_He stared at her angrily, as the witch firmly kept his body right in place._

"_You're going to need, Bonnie. I'm the only one who _knows _what kind of power he holds. I know how to stop him."_

_Bonnie ignored that as she placed a hand to his cheek and caressed it softly. A look of intrigue filled his eyes quickly, and her legs tightened at his waist. Klaus pursed his lips when her fingers met his hair._

"_You used to scare me Klaus. I was terrified of you," she admitted, in a flat tone, as she still held him in place. "And then—when I almost killed you—I realized that there wasn't a damn thing that you could say to me anymore that I couldn't fight back."_

_Klaus smiled as her nails circled his ear, and he continued to glare at her._

"_And that's what I love about you, Bonnie; I love a woman in power; I admire a woman who knows her worth."_

_Bonnie continued to trail her fingers against his skin, and she laughed softly as she continued to look down at him, and she clutched his head, now, with both hands._

"_Oh, I know my worth, Klaus—and I know very well what I'm capable of."_

"_So, fight with me, darling," he urged, as his hands held her at the waist. "You know what kind of a team we could make if you wanted it so. And I know—you want that. You want to rule the world. We can; we will, _together, _once we eliminate this one last threat. We'll have _everything._"_

_Bonnie ran her tongue over her lips before she leaned down towards Klaus, and placed her lips to his ear. The man shut his eyes in relief as she began to kiss him softly, and delicately against his skin. His hand immediately smoothed over her thigh and up her dress, and Bonnie smiled at his ear when he did._

"We_ won't have everything, Klaus," she said softly, as he moaned in response. _"I_ will."_

"_Don't be greedy love," he replied lightly, and Bonnie lifted her lips from his ear for a second, though her voice remained in a low whisper._

"_And don't be such a _coward,_" she shot back, much to his surprise, as her serious expression from earlier returned, and the fervor in her eyes appeared once more._ "_Find another body to control. Preferably, your own."_

_She quickly flicked her wrist and snapped the neck of the man before her; dropping the head of the lifeless body on the cold pavement before she stood to her feet._

_Bonnie looked down on the ground at the body; the one that didn't belong to Klaus, but housed his soul for long enough, and sighed. She knew that Klaus wasn't dead permanently, but this would buy her some time before he hopped to his victim, and came after her, again._

_She'd only killed Chase because Klaus didn't believe that she could; and she wanted to prove that she was capable of anything._

_Even cold-blooded murder._

_Bonnie ran her fingers through her hair, and eyed the body of the innocent before closing her eyes._

_This would prepare her for what was to come. And the quicker she got used to the darkness that would soon envelope her, the better. She'd find out what this "threat" was the Klaus was talking about, and she'd handle it, if she wanted to._

_For now? She was handling this._

_Bonnie leaned down and searched his pockets for the keys to his Audi and sighed with relief once she found them. She made her way over towards the door, and looked back at the body before focusing her eyes on it, mechanically. _

_The fire started again, and Bonnie watched it engulf the dead being on the ground in a matter of seconds—charring him to a crisp, without any time at all._

_She walked out easily, and breathed in the air once she made her way outside and to the car. She'd drive far enough to get herself back into the city—or at least close enough to a train station. She'd burn the car as well, to wipe away any trace of her, like only a being of her supernatural forte could._

_She reached into her pocket and glanced at the necklace one more time, before putting it around her own neck, and adjusting it properly over her chest._

_Bonnie took in a deep breath as she spun on her heel and glanced at the abandoned warehouse as she got into the car. She mentally snapped open the gas line that was still properly intact on the side of the building, and started one last fire in her head to ignite it._

_As if on cue, the warehouse exploded immediately, just as she was pulling away, and Bonnie watched the flames destroy the foundation beyond recognizable repair, as she observed from the distance in the rear view mirror._

_His car would look exactly the same way, when she was done with it._

_She drove down the highway, and gazed out at the deserted road before her, as her foot pressed to the gas._

_She'd have to remember to drop flowers at Chase Sotheby's grave, one day, if the police ever successfully identified the body._

XXXXX

Damon opened his eyes slowly, and he exhaled as he glanced at the body of the girl who slept soundly beside him. He shifted as softly as possible, as he reached for his buzzing cell phone, and glanced tiredly at the screen, once he retrieved.

"_Bunny Hunter—"It was just Stefan, he realized._

"What?" Damon answered, as he placed the phone to his ear, and he heard his brother whistle on the other end, before he let out a laugh.

"_You sound—pleasant. I take it things are still shit with Bonnie?" Stefan asked, and Damon sighed as he glanced at her to make sure she was still asleep while he slid out of bed. He pulled on his boxers before walking out of the room and shutting the door behind him. "Caroline and I tried calling her a few times, last night, but no response. We figured you two were still fighting."_

"Not exactly… She came home last night and pounced on me, so I take it we're in a better place, I guess," Damon said as he walked into the bathroom and grabbed his toothbrush.

"_You got some, and you don't sound too excited. Am I missing something, here?" Stefan detected immediately, and Damon placed the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he maneuvered the toothpaste, and looked in the mirror._

"It was great sex; probably the best I've had, ever," Damon said before he sighed. "But something's off—I can tell."

"_She was really upset last night when I talked to her, Damon. She cried for hours in my bedroom. Maybe she was just getting over the fight, still."_

"Yeah, maybe," Damon answered, when the bathroom door opened, and he turned from the mirror to gaze at Bonnie, who was standing there in just her t-shirt and underwear. "Listen, I'll… call you back, later," he said, as he ended the call abruptly, and placed his iPhone on the sink.

"Morning," Bonnie said simply, and Damon tipped his head in her direction in response.

"Morning," he said.

There was a long silence between the two as Damon turned on the faucet and began to brush his teeth, and Bonnie reached into the medicine cabinet for the bottle of Advil. He didn't say anything, though he was definitely judging each one of her movements, as she took the pill, washed it down, and proceeded to squirt toothpaste onto her brush, her well.

Bonnie finally broke the silence, minutes later, as Damon spit out a mouthful of the substance and rinsed his face.

"I'm fine, you know," she said suddenly, and Damon looked up into her olive eyes that were shining as she looked back at him. "I heard what you said, to Stefan. And I wanted you to know that I'm fine."

Damon grabbed a towel to dry his face, and he folded his arms over his bare chest as he stared back at her.

"You know it's not polite to eavesdrop, Judgy," he said teasingly, and Bonnie rolled her eyes. "And I never said you weren't fine, I just said you were… different."

Bonnie spit out the mouthful of toothpaste before rinsing her mouth, and wiping her lips. His eyes burned through her skin like UV rays.

"_Good_ different?" she asked, as she looked up at him. "Did you like it?"

Damon scratched his hair with a laugh and raised an eyebrow.

"What kind of question is that, Bonnie? You know I don't have any complaints—"

"Then, relax," she urged, as she moved in towards him, and placed both hands firmly on his chest, much to his surprise. "You remember what it was like when _this _was _fun, _don't you, Damon?"

Damon didn't say a word as her fingers trickled down his skin, and he recollected the better days when the only thing he and Bonnie fought about were trivial matters, like _Buffy the Vampire Slayer _v. _Supernatural, _or the Yankees v. the Mets, before she'd left him for New York. It wasn't always such a struggle being with her, he realized. And as worried as he was about her current behavior, he had to admit that he was also relieved by it too.

He wanted to give her time—just like Elena suggested—to feel the way that he did, about her. Would it be so wrong if he buried these intense feelings that he had for her, just for a little bit, to do that?

_He wanted to have _fun _with her again; was having fun such a crime?_

Damon's thoughts were interrupted when he felt Bonnie's lips press to his shoulder, already making it hard to focus on the task at hand.

_Why was he even pretending he'd able to ignore her? _

Sure; he knew that the easiest _and_ the toughest decision would have been to let her go until they were on the same page, or at least even the same wavelength. He could focus on his company, and she could focus on her friends, school, and whatever else her heart desired. He could move out of the apartment, like he had initially planned to after some time, and they could only speak to each other when they were in a group setting and asking the whereabouts and whatnots of each other's lives.

And then, like clockwork, they would fall back into one another when the timing was right, and he and his little witch could live happily—and begrudgingly—ever after; once and for all.

But as Damon licked his lips, and glanced up at the woman—yes, _woman —_before him, he could nearly laugh when he realized how ridiculous that was.

He and Bonnie weren't "practical;" they were _dysfunctional. _His relationship with Bonnie had been nothing short of tumultuous and outrageous, but secretly? He loved every minute of it.

He loved when things were tranquil, but he loved it, even more, when he was so beneath her skin that the only way to solve was to, literally, get beneath _her. _He thrived on the good times as much as he thrived on the drama.

_He was Bonnie's Wonder Wall, as well as the sledgehammer that could destroy it._

He casually eyed her legs, as the fabric rose just above her knee, even as she stood without motion.

When his eyes met her own, she was smiling.

_He knew he didn't stand a chance._

"What are you doing?" he asked bluntly, as she separated her lips from her skin. "I mean, what the hell is this?"

"I thought we'd have a little fun before you set out for work. I'm allowed to do that with my boyfriend, right?"

"_Boyfriend? _You have one of those? Can I meet him?" he asked dryly as Bonnie tilted his face to meet hers, and looked into his eyes.

"We're not broken up, and you know that," she said smoothly. "Especially not after last night," Bonnie noted, and Damon ticked his jaw.

"I wouldn't know; we didn't do much talking while you were getting your porn star on."

"And while you were _feebly _resisting me," she added, and he remained still. "Why didn't you, Damon, if you honestly believed we were over?"

Damon bit his lip as she stared at him knowingly. Her mint green eyes penetrated his like no other, before he finally opened his mouth to offer a retort.

"I wanted to get in one, last, good sex romp, before we called it quits."

She pressed his hands against his skin, and Damon shut his eyes when Bonnie placed her hands on his shoulders. He breathed deeply when she worked her fingers firmly into his tense muscle.

It was damn near the equivalent of bliss, if he were honest, as Bonnie's hands gave him a slow massage, and his breathing became shallower with each individual touch.

His eyes only fluttered when he felt her lips on his ear.

"_How about another?"_

Damon opened his eyes to glance at the girl with the devilish smile and a lustful gleam in her eyes.

He straightened up almost on instinct.

"Why are you so intent on seducing me?" he asked curiously, as Bonnie let go of him long enough to turn on the water in the shower. "Just _days _ago, I would have had to _beg _you to let me keeps the lights on. And now—_last night— _"

"I surprised you," she filled in, and he let out an incredulous laugh as she stripped off her t-shirt, and let it fall to the ground.

"What the hell is your game, Bonnie?"

The brunette pursed her lips and shook her head.

"I don't have one. You don't like rules, right?"

Damon didn't answer that, as she moved in closer, and seemed to hover before him so effortlessly. It felt like he was liable to choke on any word that spilled from his lips.

Bonnie's finger raised, and he inhaled a deep sigh when she pressed it to his lips, softly. She tilted her head to study him, as well.

"You don't think that I want you. But I do—I want you more than I'm even willing to admit," she said boldly, and Damon's eyes followed hers as though he was under her spell.

_He definitely was; and she hadn't even been using any magic._

"And I know… that you've grown to be a talker, Damon, but I find that actions prove to be much more effective than words. And I may not be able to _tell _you all that you want to hear, right now, but I can _show _you; we both know that."

Damon swallowed hard, as her finger trailed from his lips, down to his chin, and across his neck. Damon looked down into her shining eyes as their bodies moved in tighter, and the air between them became even thinner.

Bonnie's lips touched his, and without second thought, Damon grabbed her by the waist and lifted her legs into his arms. He felt her mouth form into a smile as she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, and he moved them swiftly into the shower. He mentally thanked the gods that he didn't actually _need _to breathe, because while he was in Bonnie's grasps, he didn't actually get a _chance _to. With her mouth all over his, and her busily tearing away his boxers the second her feet touched the ground, her didn't really get to do much of anything but watch as the little witch before him pushed him against the tiled wall, and had her way with him, over and over again.

_It was no wonder he missed the call when his phone began to ring. The person on the other end would just have to reach him some other way._

XXXXX

"So, Bonnie's okay, I just checked in with Damon. They had make-up sex last night, and I assume that means all is well," Stefan said, as he hung up his phone, and turned to face Caroline, who was just walking into the kitchen, clad in her shorts and tank top from last night.

"I wish we fought as much as they do; I'd be getting laid every hour," she said brashly, as Stefan laughed and shook his head.

"I'm not sleeping with you until you're single. I have 'morals,' remember?" he asked mockingly, and Caroline rolled her eyes. "Did you break up with your boyfriend yet or are you having second thoughts?" he teased, and the blonde scoffed as she reached into the refrigerator and grabbed a blood bag to drink.

"I called and texted him like _fifty _times to try to end things, and no response… You would think it'd be so much easier to break-up with someone, in this day and age. Do you think I should tweet him?"

"Don't 'tweet' him, Caroline," Stefan replied, and her face soured. "Just… wait. I'm sure he'll be here, sooner or later, because he seems to be everywhere," Stefan mumbled, and Caroline's brow rose as she watched him sip his coffee hastily. "What?"

"You're anxious, aren't you?" she asked, and his brows furrowed. "You're playing it all cool, but you cannot _wait _for me to dump Chase, can you?" Stefan shrugged his broad shoulders and took another sip from his drink as he looked into her big blue eyes. "You know that I'm choosing _you, _right, Stefan?" she asked, and the vampire pursed his lips as her gaze followed his. "The time it took me to wax my eyebrows last week lasted longer than my relationship with him. I'm not confused about what I'm doing… I _know _what I want."

Stefan crossed his arms as she walked over towards him, and stared up at him unapologetically. He breathed in a deep sigh and studied the contours of Caroline's face before he answered to that.

"And you're sure about this?" he asked, as she continued to gaze at him. "Because after Elena, Caroline, I just—I _can't _be with another person who isn't one hundred percent about this—about _me. _She said 'forever,' she said 'always,' and yet, here I am; _alone, _because I don't think she knew what any of that meant at all, as a human," Stefan revealed, and Caroline placed her drink down before grabbing both of his hands, and intertwining their fingers.

She smiled softly as she looked into his glistening green eyes.

"I want _you, _Stefan; only _you. _I haven't known how to want anybody else, since the very first day I met _you,_" she said, as Stefan felt Caroline's thumbs smooth over his skin, and he pressed his lips together. "Do you know that I planned our _wedding _your first day at Mystic Falls High School? I said we'd be married in _June._"

Stefan felt a smile creep across his lips, until he was full blown laughing, and Caroline snorted as she shook her head with embarrassment, and let out a laugh as well.

She'd been nothing short of relentless and persistent, when it came to Stefan Salvatore, back then. She'd felt that way about him since day _one, _and as hard as she tried to fill the void with any other guy she could, she knew it was useless.

She wanted Stefan; she would always _need _Stefan.

Stefan's laughter finally subsided, though his grin remained, and his eyes twinkled softly as he looked into hers.

"You were a bit of a stage five clinger honestly," he said, and Caroline hit his arm jokingly, as he let out another laugh. "So; June wedding—and I'm sure you picked out a dress, a color scheme, and the invitations, as well…. Did you plan the honeymoon, too?" Caroline sucked her teeth ruefully, as his eyes widened with shock, and his mouth with amusement. "You planned our _honeymoon, _Caroline?!"

"I figured that we could cruise the Caribbean!" she said protested, as Stefan eyed her with a streak of astonishment beyond his eyes. "But since you were so _pale, _I deducted that you hated the sun, so it might have been a bust," Caroline smirked, and Stefan shook his head as he pulled her in firmly by the waist, until she was pressed to his body. "I know, now, that your pastiness isn't a choice, but a lifestyle. I also know that I'm a _little _bit crazy, but I'm working on it, okay? I'm _improving._"

Stefan grinned as his lips hovered over hers, and he looked into her eyes with a sense of warmth that relaxed and excited her all at once. His hand stroked back a stray blonde curl and Caroline nearly passed out when his voice lowered an octave, and resonated throughout her bones.

"You would be _really _creepy if you weren't so _hot,_" Stefan said, and the blonde moaned happily when he slowly pressed his mouth to hers, and met her in a deep kiss. "_Really, really creepy,_" he whispered onto her lips.

"I think that you have a thing for creeps," Caroline said, between his slow kisses, as her fingers combed through his caramel hair. "After all, you dated Katherine _and _Rebekah. I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and say that _stalkers _turn you on."

"Mmm well, we'll have plenty of time to test that theory," Stefan whispered before pulling his lips away, and gazing into her eyes when someone knocked the door. "Right after you dump your boyfriend; I think he's finally here."

Caroline groaned as she dropped his hands and pouted.

"Can I just compel him to go away if he cries? I don't deal well with _man_ tears," she said, and Stefan chuckled softly as he watched her turn on her heel and head towards the door.

"Don't compel him, Caroline, just… tell him you've already planned our twenty-year anniversary and purchased our grave plots. He'll understand."

Caroline scoffed and Stefan winked with a grin as he prepared himself to leave. He figured he might as well give Caroline and Chase a bit of privacy, right now, being that he _was _the reason she was dumping his ass in the first place.

_Not that he felt too sorry about it, anyway. But still. _

But Stefan stopped cold in his tracks when Caroline opened the door, and the person standing before her wasn't Chase, but someone much more acquainted.

"Elena?" Caroline asked softly, as she looked into the doppelgangers wide eyes and folded her arms. "What… are you doing here?" she questioned a bit awkwardly, and Elena shook her head.

"What do you mean? I—I came over as soon as I heard the news—I thought I was _late."_

"Late for… what, Elena?" Stefan asked, and he watched as she looked between the both of them, and her expression dropped. "What's wrong?"

"You… haven't turned on your T.V all morning, have you?" Elena asked, as Stefan and Caroline stared at her blankly. "I—Caroline… you should _probably _put on the news. Right now."

Caroline immediately felt her stomach tense at that, as she glanced at Stefan, and he looked equally concerned. He headed towards the coffee table and grabbed the remote to flip on the flat screen that hung from the living room wall.

Caroline's eyes darted to the display, and she let out a gasp when they were met with breaking news coverage that included an anchor talking feverishly, as images of search dogs, detectives, cops, and cameras flooded the screen.

Her stomach churned even more when she heard Elena's voice break her thoughts, and say the words that flashed on the screen, over and over again.

"They found Chase's car on fire, early this morning; and a building, in Allendale, New Jersey was set on fire with a body inside, within an hour of each other… They don't know if it's him yet, Caroline, but..." Elena's words trailed off, and her throat tightened.

_It was him. They both knew it was. Chase was dead._

Caroline shot her gaze to Stefan, and his eyes narrowed when he looked back at her. Her eyes dropped to the T.V again, where she got visual confirmation of Elena's words, in big bold letters.

_Man found dead in Allendale N.J warehouse explosion, 25 minutes away from the scene of a car fire. Police investigation continues to identify body._

"We have to call Bonnie," Stefan said, almost immediately. _"We need Bonnie."_

XXXXX

"So, I was thinking—" Laila started, as she flipped her long brown locks over her shoulder, and held up a pretty, nude dress, with a hopeful smile, "This one; this _is _the dress for your 'nice and simple' birthday soiree."

Bonnie looked over from the rack she was perusing, and eyed the designer box pleat item in Laila's hands, before wrinkling her nose in dissatisfaction, and pressing her lips shut.

"You hate it? Seriously? Isn't this your style? I think it is; you own like _ten _of these!" Laila huffed, and Bonnie licked her lips.

"It's… not sexy enough," she said, and Laila's eyes bugged. "I'm turning twenty, Laila. It should be a big deal."

Laila snorted before stuffing the dress back on the rack and folding her arms, as Bonnie innocently continued to comb through the garments, without a hint of apology in her eyes.

She'd somehow managed to peel herself away from Damon long enough after their _rendezvous _this morning, to allow him to go to work and her to go shopping for the perfect dress for her birthday that was soon approaching. She had been less than cooperative about it, if she was honest, and she was sure Laila had nearly picked up one_ hundred _dresses at this point. But Bonnie shunned each one, though she knew she was driving her best friend mad.

She didn't care, honestly; she needed the perfect dress, and she would search to the ends of the Earth to find it, if she had to.

"You're being difficult. _Again,_" Laila noted with a forcible smile. "And I am going to scream."

"Don't be dramatic," Bonnie said easily. "We have plenty of time before the party to find me something," she added calmly, and Laila's eyebrows scrunched.

"Party? I thought we were having a 'small' get-together, with just dinner and drinks?" she questioned, and Bonnie licked her teeth. "You said you wanted small."

"Yeah, about that… I kind of want to go bigger, now" she said flippantly, and Laila glanced at her in confusion. "I've already booked 1 Oak, actually. And I don't want a simple dinner; but I have picked a theme," she said nonchalantly.

Laila glanced at her in disbelief, before she broke the silence, with a voice that was nearly shrilled.

"You _booked _1 Oak? As in, the _entire _thing?... How? It's like, one of the most exclusive clubs in the city!"

"Damon helped. His wine company does a lot of sales with the owner, and when I told him this morning that I wanted to celebrate my birthday, _for real, _he was on the phone, and made a deal in thirty seconds flat… It pays dating a businessman," she said, and Laila whistled.

"So, I take it you two are all sunshine and rainbows, again?" she asked, as Bonnie narrowed her eyes. "Caroline… briefed me about the fight, last night via text message. Is everything okay?"

"We're fine; better than okay," she said. "Things are… perfect, now. They really are," she smiled. Laila smiled gently, and Bonnie clapped her hands together before changing the subject quickly. "So, don't you want to hear more about the party?"

"Uhm, yeah!" she yelled, and Bonnie smirked. "What's the theme? Is there a guest list? What exactly is the plan?" the girl babbled, as Bonnie tucked a strand of her jet black hair behind her ear, and grinned when she looked down at her cell phone at the fifth missed call she'd gotten this hour from Caroline.

_She was guessing she saw the news. She internally sighed at the fact that Laila couldn't even be bothered with current events long enough to know if the apocalypse had just struck. The investigation about the car, the body, and the warehouse went completely unknown to her best friend, and probably would, for at least another decade._

Bonnie cleared her throat appropriately.

"It's all taken care of. We hired a party planner, and she's handling things as we speak," she said, as she turned her cell off, and looked back up at Laila. "Guest list; yes. Theme? Saints and Sinners," she added, with a wicked smile. "It's going to be _so _great."

Laila placed her hands on her hips as the girl began to walk out of the boutique, and forced back a smirk as she glanced her best friend's way.

"I can't believe you hid this from me! This is huge, Bon. I am _impressed_. Who knew you could be so sneaky?"

Bonnie laughed gently, before reaching into her purse, and reapplying a layer of her Yves Saint Laurent _Rouge Pur Opium _red lipstick, as the two walked down Madison Avenue and her heels clicked against the pavement.

_Sneaky _might have been an understatement to describe Bonnie Bennett, these days. It'd been less than twenty four hours since her encounter with Klaus, and already, she'd literally gotten away with murder. She'd escaped any suspicion thus far, by not having the NYPD at her apartment this morning, and she was going to celebrate the minor victory the first chance she got. She hadn't forgotten about Klaus' words; about a new "threat" coming their way, and she was more than prepared to take whatever _it _was on, the second it revealed its face.

As far as Bonnie was concerned, things couldn't be better.

"Where did you get that necklace?" Laila asked, breaking into her thoughts, as they stopped in front of Starbucks, and her eyes widened. "It's _gorgeous! _Did Damon get that for you too?"

Bonnie laughed as her fingers touched the stone and she smiled.

"No, it's old—I found it in my stuff that I brought from Mystic Falls. Figured I'd start wearing it now; there's some stupid, made-up legend that it belonged to a witch named Silas. It helped him channel this weird 'magic' called expression that basically allowed him to do whatever the hell he wanted without being subject to the 'rules and consequences' that the other witches endured." Laila stared at her blankly, and Bonnie smirked. "Don' worry—I know it's all a hoax. I just thought it looked pretty," Bonnie added.

Laila snorted as she looked at the stone and then back into Bonnie's gleaming eyes.

"Ugh, definitely. I mean, witches? Really? People outside of New Orleans actually believe in that stuff?" Laila asked, and Bonnie grinned as they continued to walk. "What else are people into in Mystic Falls? I bet that town believes in vampires and werewolves and ghosts too, don't they?" Laila asked lightheartedly.

Bonnie laughed as she fingered the stone on the necklace as they continued to walk, before she finally spoke.

"Oh, don't be silly, Lai. The people in Mystic Falls have imaginations-but they aren't _that _great."

XXXXX

"You're calling me twice in one day? What the hell did I do now?" Damon asked, as he clutched his phone to his ear with one hand, and grabbed his briefcase with the other, as he walked down the hall. "This is considered _stalking _in most states, brother."

"_I actually called you twelve times, but your secretary said you were in a meeting. I was hoping by the seventh call she'd realize it was urgent and she'd interrupt you, but she just hung up on me," Stefan said with frustration, and Damon scoffed._

"You called _twelve _times, you psycho? What the hell's the matter? And please, don't tell me that it's to announce that you and Caroline's adoption of some poor animal that you're probably gonna eat accidentally, when you're sleepwalking or something."

"_What? No! We haven't adopted anything. We're just looking for Bonnie. Her phone's off but we've been calling her all morning. Something's happened."_

"Could you be any less cryptic?" Damon asked. "What's going on?"

"_Well, Elena came over this morning—"_

"Did you have a threesome?" he sneered.

"_No," Stefan shot back seriously, and Damon grinned. "More like she showed us the news. Apparently, there was a warehouse explosion in Allendale, and the police found a body inside. Less than a half hour away, they found Chase's _car; _it was on fire as well."_

Damon stopped in his tracks when he heard that.

"Wait, what? When was this?"

"_They don't have a time, because there aren't any witnesses. But it all happened last night. And Chase brought Bonnie home, Damon—"_

"I know; _she _drank with him, at a bar, beforehand... Are you sure this is the same Chase, Stefan? Has he been reported missing?"

"_There isn't anyone to report him missing. Both his parents died, and left him a fortune. He doesn't have any siblings either. The news said they ran his license plate numbers from what they could still make out and the car belonged to him. Caroline said it was his, too. She recognized it. She's been calling him all morning, and no answer."_

"I don't see how Chase being missing or dead or whatever involves _Bonnie. _She came home last night, Stefan. And she didn't say anything other than that they drank together."

"_Then maybe something happened to him, afterwards? I don't know, Damon. But this doesn't sound like a coincidence that they found that body so closely to where his car was torched. And we need to know if the same person who possibly did this to him did this to Jeremy, as well. Bonnie did tell you that she didn't think it was an accident, right? Because this clearly wasn't, either."_

Damon's jaw ticked at that, before he reluctantly nodded his head. Maybe this was all a lot more serious than he thought.

"I'll find Bonnie; I think she went out with Laila," he said as he picked up the pace of his walking again, before he finally got to his office and placed a hand on the door knob. "We'll be at your place soon."

Damon ended the call and sighed as he walked in and shut the door behind him.

He was never the one to make a supernatural mountain out of every potential mole hill, but there was something about this situation that just didn't feel right. Bonnie _had _been with Chase last night, and suddenly, he was missing, and might have been _dead? _He doubted she had anything to do with it, but then again, what if she did?

_And why didn't she tell him?_

Damon shook away his thoughts as he grabbed his things off of his desk, and glanced around the room for any sighting of his keys. It _might _be faster to just vamp speed his way to wherever Bonnie was, but once he was with her, it'd definitely be easier to go by car.

Damon nearly jumped out of his skin when his chair suddenly swiveled around, and a familiar face was sitting there, staring up at him, with his keys dangled at their fingers, and a smug smirk on their lips.

His eyes widened for a second as he glanced at her, before he shook his head and approached her swiftly.

She didn't move an inch.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, as his brows scrunched, and his tightened.

She uncrossed her legs, and her heels clicked as they hit the ground, while she continued to stare up at him. She cocked her head in annoyance.

Damon was still sure that he was seeing a ghost.

"_Well, 'hello' to you too, Damon Salvatore," Rebekah said blazingly. "I was hoping we'd meet, again."_

**A/N: Hey everyone! So, it took me a bit to write this chapter but I hope it was well worth it, because I wanted to get it JUST right. What did you think about the beginning flashback that took place after Bonnie discovered Chase was actually Klaus, and our favorite witch's descent into the madness finally? I wanted to write dark!Bonnie as a bit of a psycho/temptress, so I hope that I pulled it off well. As I stated before, she's not going to be very likable to some (or most) of you, so if you she does some bad things *shrugs* I warned you, LOL. Why do you think she finally went dark? The necklace? Klaus' words? Her guilt about Damon? Thoughts! Also, where IS Klaus now that his vessel is dead? Will we see him soon? & what's this threat he was so afraid about? And Steroline. LOL, I tried to give them a cute moment in the midst of all the madness before Elena interrupted with dire news. I hope you all enjoyed their fluffiness. Next, Bonnie's birthday! The show has never given her one so I was DYING to somehow include that into this fic. Lastly, what do you think will turn up with this case about Chase? And what the hell is Rebekah doing here?! Only time will tell! As always, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING. I really do love you all, and I hope that you're enjoying the story! I suppose the summary will start to come more into effect now, with Damon being torn between the Bonnie he knows, and the dark!Bonnie who wants to take over. Who do you think he'll choose? R&R and until we meet again, my lovelies! Xoxo ;)**


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